The Ties That Burn
by StillDreaming85
Summary: Isabella's parents were murdered. Her sister betrayed her and her marriage is on the rocks. Things couldn't get any worse, right? Bratella Mobward - PART TWO - The Ties That Bind
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello! *waves* I hope you had a great Easter. Who is ready for round two?

Chapters will be between 1000-2000 words. If you don't like that, then don't read. It's what suits me and my health.

Thanks to my Dream Team, Cristina, Sherry, Paige & Tiffany, for working with me on another story. I would be lost without you ladies xx

 **Chapter 1**

 **EPOV**

Okay, so I had been a dick. A pretty big dick. Rather than talk to Isabella and work through our issues, I had been avoiding her. I had thrown myself into taking over New York and had left her at home in Detroit. I had basically done anything I could to avoid talking to her. Like I said, it was a dick move. What can I say? Seeing her run toward Garrett in the middle of a gunfight had scared the crap out of me. I'd never cared for anyone so deeply that the thought of losing them destroyed me. I wasn't sure what I would have done or how I would have coped if I had lost her, and knowing that she cared more about revenge than her own life? No, I wasn't having that shit. My wife shouldn't be getting her hands dirty and I would make sure she never did again. I would make sure she never touched a gun again. She would stay at home, safe, away from all the action. She could learn to cook, sew, or whatever the hell it was that wives did all day. Soon enough, hopefully, she would be occupied with raising our children. Not that I was naive to think that she was anywhere ready for that kind of responsibility, but one day…

I had come home early that morning to surprise her. It was a Thursday, so I brought a bouquet of flowers hoping it would soften her up a little. I wanted to talk to her and work things out, so we would have the rest of the day to spend together, but things didn't quite go as planned. When I opened the front door, I was greeted by the stench of stale food, then I saw the mess on the floor. There was trash all over it. Empty takeout containers, empty bottles of juice, dirty clothes, and… I'm not sure I even want to know what the hell that is. I screwed my face up as I went further into the house, looking around at the mess. The entire place was trashed. It was like someone had detonated a junk bomb on the entire house. What was going on? Was Isabella sick? Why hadn't she cleaned up after herself and when did she become such a slob?

I would have sent Marcus to check on her when I was away, but he was currently doing time in a federal Prison in Duluth. The idiot had gotten into a bar fight and the cops busted him for possession of an illegal weapon. As far as I was concerned the fucking idiot deserved to do the time for being so fucking reckless. He should have known better, but clearly he didn't. I hadn't told Isabella where he was yet. She had asked for him at one point and I just stated he was busy, but I guess I was going to have to tell her sooner or later. I just wasn't sure how she would react since everyone around her seemed to be disappearing, myself included.

I had asked my mother to check in on her a few times. She told me she and Isabella had gone out to lunch a few times, but for the most part it seemed like Isabella wanted to be left alone. She declined most of my mom's invitations and had even stopped her coming inside the house on a few occasions. Though if the house had looked anything like this it was no wonder Isabella had refused her entry.

I sat the bouquet on countertop in the kitchen. There wasn't any space so I just set it on top of the mess and headed upstairs, thinking Isabella must be up there because there was no sign of her down here. Unless she was trapped under all the mess and couldn't call for help, which was possible. I found Bruno asleep on her bed, but there was still no sign of Isabella. I was annoyed that she would disregard my order and allow the damn dog to sleep on the bed, but honestly, after seeing the house, I think that was the least of my worries.

I eventually found Isabella asleep in my bed. If I was being honest, it was one of the last places I expected to find her. She was cuddling into my pillow. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she had been crying. I felt like an even bigger dick for that. She shouldn't be crying over me and especially not like this. I sat down on the bed beside her and gently shook her, trying to wake her. She opened her eyes after a few minutes, looking dazed and disorientated. "Hey," I said, cautiously. "Are you okay? Are you sick?"

Isabella shook her head. "No, why?"

"I just presumed with all the mess in the house that you weren't feeling well."

Isabella glared at me like I had said the wrong thing. "Your housekeeper hasn't been here."

"I don't have a housekeeper," I said, confused.

"Then, that's your problem, not mine."

I bit my tongue to stop myself from shouting at her. It was clear she was upset with me and I knew it wasn't unjustified. Before Isabella had come to live with me, my mother had cleaned up for me, not that there has ever been that much of a mess. I was a pretty tidy person. I guess when Isabella had moved in I had just sorta expected her to assume that role and my mother hadn't wanted to step on any toes. She had tidied up after herself in the beginning, but I gather she didn't feel like doing that any longer or she was trying to make a point. "The house looks like it has been invaded by a gang of teenagers."

"Did you wake me just to gripe at me or was there something you actually wanted?" she asked, giving me sass.

"I came home to see you. I've missed you," I said, realizing that this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought. She was hurt and angry at me.

"Oh, now you decide to miss me. Well, I'm afraid it's not convenient for me at the moment," she stated, lying back and closing her eyes. Now that I looked at her again, I could see her hair hadn't been washed in days and the t-shirt she was wearing was grubby.

"You haven't been taking care of yourself," I stated, annoyed by the fact. Couldn't I even count on her to do that when I wasn't here? Isabella ignored me, rolling onto her side, away from me. "Why haven't you been taking care of yourself?" She never answered so I pulled the covers from her. She sat up, glaring at me. She grabbed the covers, trying to pull them back over her, but I refused to let them go.

When she realized that I wasn't going to allow her to go back to sleep, she screamed at me and got out of bed, marching out of the room. I followed her, wondering where she was going. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had gotten into her bed, but she didn't. She headed downstairs. Bruno followed her. She walked over the mess on the floor as if it wasn't there. She opened the fridge and stared into it for a few minutes before grabbing a can of Reddi-Wip and holding it to her mouth.

I grabbed it from her hand before she got more than two shots. "That isn't a proper breakfast," I stated. "Why don't you take a shower and I'll order us something to eat. Then, I'll see about getting someone to clean up this mess. Maybe we can talk during breakfast."

"I don't want to talk," Isabella argued, attempting to grab the can from me. I lifted it out of her reach, when she realized she couldn't reach it she growled in frustration. "Go back to New York and leave me alone."

She was so frustrating. I wanted to grab her and shake her until she started to see sense. "I'm not leaving you, not if you're going to live like this."

"I don't need you to take care of me," she snapped. "I can take care of myself."

"Really?" I said, motioning to the mess around us. "Clearly you can't. Open your fucking eyes, principessa. How can you live like this?"

"It doesn't bother me," she shrugged.

"Well, it fucking bothers me!" I roared. "I will not allow you to live like this. Go upstairs and get in the shower now, then pack your things. We're moving to New York."

Isabella glared at me. "I don't want to move to New York."

"It's like this, principessa, you either pack or I pack for you."

Isabella scowled at me and then stormed off. I hadn't planned on us moving to New York so soon. I wasn't sure how being in the city would affect her, but it looked like I couldn't leave her here, not when she was incapable of looking after herself. I knew it was probably her way of getting back at me, but either way I would not allow her to live like this.

I called my mother, asking her to take care of the house, and then I called my pilot and told him to set a flight plan for New York. I had bought us a new house in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. I didn't think she would want to stay at her parent's house; in fact, I planned on getting rid of it. I just hoped she liked our new home.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks to my ladies, Cristina, Paige & Sherry xx

Big thanks for all the reviews/follows/favs for the first chapter. Here we go again…

 **Chapter 2**

 **EPOV**

I gave Isabella an hour to come downstairs and when she didn't, I went upstairs to find her. I found her lying in her bed with her eyes closed. I wasn't sure if she was pretending to be asleep or if she was actually sleeping. One thing was for sure; she hadn't showered or packed anything yet. I sighed, going through to my room, I grabbed a few suitcases. I finished packing some more of my things before going into her room and packing whatever I could grab. Not that there were many clean clothes to choose from. She would just have to buy herself more when we got to New York.

Once I was finished packing for us, I was faced with the task of waking her. Since she hadn't stopped me from packing her things I could only presume that she was actually sleeping. I sat down on the edge of the bed and gently rocked her. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't expecting a pleasant reception. I knew she was beyond pissed with me and at very good reason.

"What?" she snapped, as soon as she opened her eyes.

"We need to leave soon," I said softly, hoping my gentle voice would somehow convince her not to argue with me, but I knew that was unlikely.

"I'm not going anywhere," she stated, turning her back to me.

"Please, Isabella," I begged, putting my hand on her arm. "I know I've screwed up. I know you hate me right now and with good cause, but I need you to come to New York with me. I need to know you are taken care of. I was an idiot, a selfish asshole to leave you alone here when you so clearly needed me. I can see that now, and I'm sorry. I was scared of losing you, so I pushed you away. It was the wrong thing to do, I can see that now. I'm not proud of what I did, but I want the chance to make it up to you."

"I'm not interested," she mumbled.

I took a deep breath, hoping it would alleviate some of my anger. It didn't. She could be so damn stubborn at times, we both could. "Isabella, please, be reasonable here."

"If it will ease your conscience you can send Marcus to check on me, that way you will feel like you're doing your husbandry duty, but I am not going anywhere. I have no intention of moving back to New York."

"I can't," I sighed. I would rather not have to tell her about Marcus right now, especially since she was already angry with me.

"Why not?" She snapped, sitting up and turning to face me. "Is he too busy? Does he have more important things to do?" I could tell by the bitterness of her tone that his absence had bothered her. I hadn't realized she had grown so fond of him. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. It did spark a little bit of jealousy in me. I had to remind myself I hadn't exactly been the perfect husband for her and Marcus had been there for her at times when I hadn't.

"He's in prison," I said quietly, watching her, trying to gauge her reaction.

"What?" She said, uncertain.

"He got busted for an illegal weapon charge."

"When were you planning to tell me?"

"I'm telling you now," I said, trying to avoid the route this conversation was headed. I knew it would only piss her off more.

"How long has he been in prison?"

"Does it really matter?"

"I want to know how long you've kept this from me," she stated, folding her arms and glaring at me.

"Isabella, I didn't come here to argue with you."

"Oh, did you think you would just say sorry, flash me a smile, and all would be forgotten!?" she snapped. "Or maybe you thought you could say sorry, we could fuck, and all would be back to normal!" she screamed. "Well, I'm sorry, it doesn't work like that Edward. You left me alone. I killed two people; my fucking sister and her husband, and you left me alone to deal with that. You were supposed to be there for me. You told me you loved me, but now I can only assume that was a lie. You are the only person I have and you left me all a-fucking-lone."

"I'm sorry," I said, reaching out for her. I wasn't really sure what else I could say. She was right. I had been in the wrong. I hated seeing her likes this, so broken.

She jumped out of bed, glaring at me. She looked so furious. "Too little, too late," she sobbed. "I hate you Edward. I fucking hate you." She stormed off to her en suite before I could even get off the bed. She slammed the door. I went over to it, placing my hand on the wood. The lock was still off from the time she had tried to escape, but I didn't dare push the door open. I wasn't sure I would be welcomed if I did.

I stood there for twenty agonizing minutes, waiting for Isabella to come out. When it became apparent that she had no intention to, and I couldn't hear her through the door, I pushed the damn thing open. She was nowhere to be seen. I immediately panicked, thinking that she had run away from me again, not that I could blame her this time… I suppose I couldn't blame her last time either. I opened the patio doors, relieved to see her sitting on the balcony. Although, my heart broke to see her so physically upset.

I kneeled down beside her. She was sitting on the floor of the balcony with her arms wrapped around her legs. She had her head placed on her knees. Her body was heaving with every sob. "I'm sorry," I said, reaching out to touch her.

"I hate you," she cried.

"I know," I answered. I sat down and pulled her onto my lap. She didn't fight me. I held her tight against my chest, rocking her, silently promising her that I would never hurt her like this again. I was far from perfect, but I would try my hardest to be the best possible husband to her from here on out. No wife should ever cry because of her husband like this

When Isabella finally settled down I got her to her feet and led her inside. She was freezing. I closed the patio door, turned on the shower to heat the water as I undressed her. I removed my shirt to keep it from getting wet from the spray. She let me wash her without any protest. It was almost like she had shut herself off. She was robotic, going through the motions, but she wasn't actually here. I will admit I was worried about her. If she didn't get any better when we got to New York, then I would seek help. I hoped being in her hometown would help her. She could reconnect with old friends and get out more. We could start to make a home together, once we had worked through our issues and reconnected.

After I showered Isabella, I dressed her and replaced my shirt. I led her out to the car, loaded our things and headed to the airport. She never said another word for hours. She just stared out the window. She looked so lost, so broken. I knew I only had myself to blame.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Big thanks to my ladies, Paige, Tiffany, Sherry & Cristina.

Sorry for the slow updates, my health has been acting up and the kids are off school.

 **Chapter 3**

 **EPOV**

"Where's Bruno?" It was the first thing she had said to me in hours. I was just glad that she had finally snapped out of her daze because she had certainly been scaring the shit out of me. I was beginning to think I was going to need to have her committed, or something. I would give anything to have my screaming brat back. I would much rather she was shouting at me or trying to hit me. Anger was easier to fix than _this_ … I had no idea what to do with a broken wife and to me, she certainly looked broken, but in all honestly, who could blame her? After everything she had been through who could really blame her for falling apart? It had been a long time coming.

"He's still in Detroit," I said, cutting the engine. We had just pulled up outside of our new home. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, an exciting new chapter in our lives, but there was a huge ass wedge between us, and I knew I had done my part to put it there, as had she. "Emmett is going to bring him up in your car. I thought you would like to have it here so you can come and go as you please. Now that the Russians are no longer a threat there is no reason you can't drive yourself around."

"When will he be here?" she asked, her finger drawing patterns on the car window. She had yet to look at me, that fact hadn't gone unnoticed.

"He'll be here when you wake up in the morning," I assured her. She never reacted or responded so I got out of the car and walked around to her side opening her door. "Do you want to come and see our new home?" I asked, extending my hand toward her. Isabella blinked at me a few times before unclipping her seatbelt and putting her hand in mine. I pulled her into my arms, keeping her close as I shut the car door and led her up the steps to our house. She felt icy cold to the touch. I prayed she wasn't coming down with something, though it wouldn't be surprising if she did, not after the way she had been living these past few weeks.

I gave her a brief tour of the house, covering the main living areas, as well as our bedroom, the large dining room where I hoped we would entertain a lot, and the outdoor pool; though I only showed her that from the window. I didn't want to risk her getting cold again, not now when she was only starting to warm up. "As you can see I had someone furnish the house, but if there is anything that you don't like, you can change it. I didn't have them put any of the little finishing touches on the house. I thought that would be something that you would want to do yourself." At least that was the sort of thing that my mother and sister enjoyed doing. I realized then that I had no idea what Isabella liked to do, and I had made no effort to find out either.

"Listen," I said, sitting us both down on chairs at the dining table in the main living area. I took her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze until she looked at me. "I was hoping that we could start fresh, new house, clean slate and all that. I know I've fucked up, and I'm sorry. I should have been there for you and I wasn't, but I plan to make it up to you. I hate to see you like this. I hate to see you so… upset. Someone as beautiful as you should only ever be seen smiling. So, what do you say? Can we start over, try again?"

Isabella stared at me for several moments, her eyes filling with tears before she pulled her hand away from mine. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to lie down." I wanted to snap at her, tell her that running away from me wasn't going to solve any of our problems, but at the same time I didn't want to upset her more than she already was. "Wake me up when Bruno gets here," she stated. "I don't like not having him with me." She got up and walked down the hall toward the bedrooms. I saw her pause outside our bedroom door before she turned and went into one of the guest rooms.

I wanted to punch something. I wanted to scream and break shit, but I knew it wouldn't solve anything if I did. I got up, running my hands over my face as I made my way through to my office. I needed a drink. I sat down at my desk, putting my feet up as I switched the computer screen on. I had CCTV installed in the house, not the bedrooms, but at least I would be able to keep an eye on her if she left the bedroom. I opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass, pouring myself a drink. I then proceeded to check my cell. I had a few missed calls from my mother and a text message from Emmett to say he had left Detroit. I sighed, hitting the call back button, I knew I was just about to get an earful from her. She answered after several rings. "Edward, I've been trying to reach you for hours."

"I've just checked my phone."

"The house is a mess." I sighed, I knew this. I had asked her to take care of it after all. "How did it get in such a mess?"

"Isabella hasn't been feeling well," I stated. It wasn't a complete lie. She had been out of sorts.

"Edward, the house looks like it has been trashed by a group of angry teenagers." _No_ _,_ _just one angry teenager._ "It's going to take the cleaning people days, possibly a week to get it cleaned up."

"I don't care how long it takes or how much it costs; just see that it's done." My mother took a deep breath, pausing. I knew she had something else she wanted to say. "What is it?"

"Is Isabella depressed?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't know all the details about what has happened, but she has been through a lot. I just hate to think of her hurting. I did try to see her when you were away, but like I told you she wouldn't let me inside the house, though it's no wonder if it looked like this, and she barely answered my calls. I only managed to see her a handful of times that I was able to convince her to come out for lunch. Even then, I felt like she was only doing it to appease me. Maybe I should have tried harder... Yes, I should have tried harder."

"Look Mom, it's not your fault. Isabella is just struggling to deal with her shit right now, but she'll get through this. I know she will. She's one of the strongest people I know. She just has to work through things in her head first."

"Edward, I know you're busy, but promise me you won't leave her alone. She needs you. She needs someone and now the only family she's got left are two hours away."

"I'll try my best," I mumbled. I knew Isabella needed me, but there was still so much I had to take care of in New York. I had to prove to the other families that I had what it took to run this empire. If only Marcus was still around. Perhaps letting his ass go to jail hadn't been my wisest decision, but I had been so pissed at him at the time that I thought I was teaching him a lesson. It looked like that idea had backfired.

I needed to find someone who would be around to look after Isabella when I wasn't there. I knew a guard wouldn't work. I don't think she would accept anyone other than Marcus and I had already told her that she could go around on her own. No, it needed to be someone she would accept. Someone she wouldn't see as a guard.

"Edward, are you still there?" my mother asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I want you to make a few phone calls for me. Find me a housekeeper. It needs to be someone local who can cook and clean. A mother figure if you will, but I don't want them as a live-in. I still want our privacy."

"That sounds like a great idea, Edward," my mother beamed. I could even hear the smile in her voice. "I'll make a few phone calls and let you know what I come up with."

"Great." I hung up from my call with my mother and did a round of the house, checking all the doors and windows to ensure they were locked before heading to bed. I paused outside the guest room where Isabella slept. Part of me wanted to open the door and climb into bed beside her, but I wasn't sure I would be welcome. Instead, I headed into my own cold, empty bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Big thanks to Cristina, Paige and Tiffany, without them this wouldn't be readable.

Sending thoughts to my Sherryboo. xx

 **Chapter 4**

 **BPOV**

I woke up with something licking my face. It was an odd sensation, one that I didn't enjoy. When I put my hand out to push whatever it was away I was greeted with a mass of fur. Bruno. Bruno was here. I opened my eyes and smiled at the sight of the large black dog on my bed. My smile was rewarded with several more licks. "I've missed you," I said on the verge of tears. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. The thing I loved about Bruno was, whenever I needed a hug, he let me. He just rested his head on my shoulder and sat there, allowing me to hold him for as long as I needed.

I glanced up and saw Edward standing in the doorway watching us. I quickly looked away. I knew if I focused on him for too long, I would only end up crying. I was still mad at him, but I think I was madder at myself. After everything, after the way he had treated me, there was still nothing more I longed for than to be wrapped up in his arms. I wanted to feel safe, protected from the world, and I knew the only way I would feel that was with him. I shouldn't feel this way and the fact that I did only served to piss me off more.

"I've made breakfast," Edward stated. I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn't hungry, even though I was, but he continued speaking before I could. "Emmett is still here if you want to see him before he leaves."

I suppose the least I could do was say hello to Emmett, after all he did bring my car and Bruno to me, both of which I was grateful for. "C'mon," I said to Bruno as I slid off the bed and made my way out of the door. I slid past Edward refusing to look or speak to him, but he wasn't about to make it that easy. Before I could walk away from him he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"How long do you plan to ignore me?" he asked.

"How long is a piece of string?" I snapped. The asshole that he is, he actually had the audacity to smile when I asked that. He even let me go, like my feistiness pleased him. I glared at him before turning and walking down the hall, with both my fists clenched. Bruno followed after me.

I found Emmett in the kitchen. He was sitting at the island, drinking a mug of coffee. His eyes lit up when he saw me, though he couldn't hide the concern that lay in them either. I knew I must have looked a mess to him. I had lost weight since we had last been in New York. My hair hadn't seen a brush in weeks and there wasn't an ounce of makeup on my face. "Hey," he said, plastering the biggest smile on his face that he could muster.

"Hey," I said in return. "Thanks for bringing Bruno and my car all the way up here. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime," Emmett said, winking at me. "I'm glad I could help. I enjoyed driving the Lexus up. I'm actually thinking of getting one for Rosalie, though I'm not sure Bruno enjoyed the drive. He didn't seem to like the car or being cooped up."

"I hope he didn't give you too much trouble?" I asked, glancing down at Bruno, who had decided to lie down at my feet.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Emmett said, draining the remaining contents of his mug and then standing up. "Anyway, I better go. I have a plane to catch. Thanks for the breakfast and the coffee," he said turning to Edward. Edward nodded. "It was good to see you," he said, turning to me. "Don't be a stranger, and if you need anything, anything at all, don't be afraid to call."

"Thank you," I mumbled, blushing a little. I wasn't used to him being so affectionate with me.

"I'll walk you out," Edward said to him. "Breakfast is under the grill, Isabella."

They both left, I went over to the stove. I was hungry, starving even, and since Edward wasn't here I didn't mind eating what he had cooked. Under the grill were pancakes and bacon. I picked up a plate from the counter and served myself a large portion. I generously poured maple syrup over the top and sat down at the dining table by the windows. The windows overlooked the garden, which looked like something out of a magazine. The trees and shrubs were a beautiful shade of green. There was also a large patio and sun loungers which lined the pool.

The house itself was actually pretty perfect, not that I would ever admit that to Edward anytime soon. In fact, I believed if things had been different I probably would have been excited about the house and our new adventure, but as it was, I saw the house as nothing but a pretty jail cell. I doubted Edward would actually stick to what he said and let me come and go as I pleased. I didn't like the thought of being back in New York either. I wasn't ready to walk the streets that held so many memories, not that it seemed to matter to Edward.

He must have some stealthy ninja moves because I never heard him comeback into the room. He was simply there when I turned around. He was standing, leaning against the wall, watching me. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, it was creepy. I didn't like it. I picked up my plate and walked back over to the kitchen, dumping it in the sink.

"So you can tidy up after yourself," he stated.

"Would you rather I leave it on the table?" I snapped. I didn't understand why he had to be such a dick all the time. Was his mission in life just to piss me off?

"No, I would rather you tidy up after yourself. I guess I was just trying to figure out what you were thinking when you let our house in Detroit get in such a mess."

"I was thinking no one else gave a fuck, so why should I?" The words were out of my mouth before I even had the chance to think them through. I didn't want to let him inside my head. I didn't want to let him know how I was feeling, but now it was out there and I couldn't take it back.

"Do you know you are more truthful when you're angry?" Edward asked, pushing himself off the wall.

"Fuck off," I hissed, turning on my heels. He was one to talk about being truthful. He had lied to me from the moment he had met me.

Edward crossed the room and grabbed my arm before I even had the chance to blink. He turned me around, and pushed me against a wall, trapping me in place. "We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk," I said, pushing against his chest, but he refused to budge. "Move, get out of my way."

"Ignoring me isn't going to solve anything," he stated.

"Maybe not, but it certainly makes me feel better. Now, get out of my way." When he refused to move again, I pushed him, but he was still persistent, he wasn't going anywhere. That was when Bruno got his attention. He growled at his side letting him know that he was not okay with him manhandling me.

"Fine," Edward said, stepping back and holding his hands up. "You win." I smiled at him and walked back to the kitchen where I had spotted Bruno's leash sitting earlier. I picked it up and clipped it on Bruno. "Where are you going?" Edward asked, following me.

"Out," I said as I slipped my shoes on. He had said I could come and go as I pleased. I guess I was now putting it to the test. I was still wearing the clothes I had on yesterday. I had slept in them last night, but I was at the point that I just didn't care. I wanted out of here, away from him. I tugged on Bruno's leash and led him out of the house, not bothering to look back once. I hoped he stewed. Let him find out what it's like to be abandoned for once.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thanks to my ladies, Tiffany, Paige, Cristina & Sherry xx

Thanks for all the reviews/follows/favs x x

 **Chapter 5**

 **BPOV**

"Isabella?" I had no idea how long I had been walking or how far I had wandered. I hadn't been paying attention to anything or anyone. I had simply been putting one foot in front of the other, trying to not think or feel. However, it would seem like my feet had a mind of their own, because when I looked up I found that I was in my old neighborhood. Maggie, an old high school friend was standing in front of me, staring at me with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

"Yeah," I said, glancing down, ensuring that Bruno was still with me. He was, although the poor soul looked worn out, his tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth and since we had stopped moving, he had taken the opportunity to lie down. "I, uh, I'm just out for a walk."

"I didn't realise you were back in the city."

"I just moved back."

"Are you staying at your parents place?" I shook my head. "I'm sorry about what happened to them. I was at the funeral. I tried to talk to you, but the muscle surrounding you wouldn't let me anywhere near you. I've tried to call since you disappeared, but your cell says it was disconnected. Where did you go to anyway?" she asked, without pausing for me to answer. "Rumor has it you were married to that tall guy I saw you holding hands with at the funeral, but I said there was no way you would get married at seventeen, not unless you were pregnant, but you weren't like the rest of us. You kept that shit locked up tight. Are you married? Has Kate moved back to the city, too? We should all meet up and go out, it would be like old times."

My head was spinning. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I understood that she was excited to see me, but she had no idea the kind of memories she was forcing into my mind. Kate… my sister, the one who had betrayed me and murdered my parents. I heard the gun go off in my head and then I saw her head whip back as the bullet made impact. I had killed her. I had killed my sister and the worst part was, I didn't seem to care. I wasn't sure what that meant. Was I as evil as her? Was I a monster?

"Isabella," Maggie said, concerned as she grabbed onto my arm and held me firmly. "Are you okay, you look like you are going to pass out."

"I don't feel so good," I mumbled. The world around me was starting to spin. I clutched my head. I needed to go home, and lie down. I looked around me. I wasn't particularly sure which way home was and I hadn't brought my cell. I had been so mad at Edward that I stormed out, just wanting to get away from him. I hadn't thought about anything else.

"C'mon," Maggie said, wrapping her arms around me. "My house is just over here. Let's get you inside and get you a cup of tea or something." I let Maggie guide me to her house because I really had no idea what else to do. I knew I couldn't continue to wander around the streets. I wasn't sure my body was up to the task anyway, and Bruno sure as hell didn't look like he wanted to walk anymore.

It felt like a lifetime since I had last been in Maggie's house; the strange part was nothing inside it had changed. It looked exactly the same as the last time I was here. The only different thing was me. I was no longer the silly teenage girl that used to come over for sleepovers. I was no longer the same girl that used to sit with Maggie and chat about boys while we did each other's hair. I had no doubt Maggie was still that same girl, but I was not. I was married now, to a mob boss no less. I had taken lives. I had blood on my hands. I was far from the innocent girl that used to come here to have fun.

Maggie led me into the kitchen where she sat me down at the table. She put the kettle on and filled Bruno a bowl of water. Surprisingly Bruno didn't seem to mind her. I think he was too tired and thirsty to care. He drank his fill of the water and then lay down at my feet, closing his eyes.

"So where are you staying now?" Maggie asked as she sat two mugs of tea down on the table and took the seat across from me.

I didn't want to tell her I didn't know. So I picked up my mug and said, "It's not far from here," before taking a drink, hoping that would be enough information to stop her from asking any further questions.

"That's great. I'll let the girls know. I'm sure they will love to see you. So who are you staying with?"

"My husband."

"So, it's true then, you're married?" Maggie asked, surprised. I nodded. "Are you pregnant?"

"No."

"It was an arranged marriage."

"Oh."

Maggie didn't know the ins and outs of my family life, but the people around here knew enough. They knew my father was a powerful man, and wasn't to be trifled with. If they stayed out of his business he would stay out of theirs. Although, half the men around here had dealings with my father, most of them just liked to keep it hidden from their wives. Maggie's father was no different.

"Is he nice? Do you love him? It's the one from the funeral, right?"

Was he nice? Did I love him? I had once told him I did, and I was sure I felt that way at the time, but now, now I felt so shut off, incapable of such an emotion. "He's like a rose," I mumbled. "He's pretty to look at, but if you're not careful you'll get pricked."

I could tell by the look on Maggie's face she wasn't sure what to say to that. It wasn't exactly the gossip she had been hoping for. Thankfully we drank the rest of our tea in peace. I was grateful for the break in the interrogation. As much as I had missed the girl, I had forgotten how much work she was.

Not long after we had finished drinking our tea, Maggie's father came home. "Margaret, are you here?" he shouted as he came in the front door. I couldn't see him from my position at the table, but I knew him well enough to recognise his voice.

"Through here dad," she shouted in response. "You'll never believe who I found out in the street."

Maggie's father hurried through to the kitchen, stopping mid-step when his eyes landed on me. "Isabella," he said, surprised.

"Hello Mr. Sweetland," I said, trying my best to muster up a smile, but I knew it was useless. A smile was hardly going to disguise the state I was in.

"Have you been here long?" he asked worriedly as he glanced between me and his daughter. He suddenly looked nervous.

"She's only been here about an hour," Maggie answered. "Why? What's wrong? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"There are people looking for you, Isabella," Mr. Sweetland stammered. "You should go home," he said, pulling me to my feet and then pushing me back down in my seat. "No, in fact, it's probably better if I call him myself," he muttered as he walked back out into the hall.

"Call who?" Maggie shouted after him.

"Her husband," he replied.

"What time is it?" I asked, looking up at Maggie. Surely Edward wouldn't have men out looking for me after only a few hours. He did say I could come and go as I pleased and I did have Bruno with me. It wasn't like I had run away. Did he think I had run away? Was he worried, upset?

"It's four o'clock," Maggie said, looking between me and her father who was now on his cell, pacing in the hall. "Why? What's going on? Why is your husband looking for you?"

I smiled weakly at her. "I must have lost track of time. He can be a little overprotective at times." If only she knew the half of it. "He's probably worried."

"He's on his way here," Mr. Sweetland stated as he walked back in the kitchen. Part of me wanted to ask if he was mad, but I didn't need to. I could tell by the way that he nervously twitched that Edward had been anything but civil with him.

I got up and placed my hand on his arm. "It was just a misunderstanding, I'll make sure he knows that," I said, trying to reassure him. Although, I wondered what Edward had done to make such a normally sweet man terrified of him. I glanced back at Maggie; she was curiously looking between us. "I'll go and wait for him on the front steps," I said, pulling Bruno to his feet and heading toward the front door.

"Wait," Maggie called after me. "Give me your cell number."

"I don't have it on me." Maggie proceeded to scribble hers down on a scrap of paper. I shoved it in my pocket and headed outside to wait for Edward. I didn't have to wait long for him and when he pulled up outside the house I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears, though he never spoke a word as he got out the car and marched to my side. He gripped my arm and guided me to the car, putting Bruno in the back and me in the front. He may not have been saying anything now, but I knew I was in for an earful as soon as I got home.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Sorry for the slow updates, still battling with an overwhelming tiredness.

Thanks for all your reviews/favs/follows

Thank you to my Dream Team, Sherry, Paige, Cristina & Tiffany, for working with me on this chapter xx

 **Chapter 6**

 **BPOV**

"What the fuck were you thinking!?" Edward roared as soon as we were inside the house. I was too tired; I didn't want to argue with him. I just wanted to crawl into bed and go to sleep. Clearly Bruno felt the same way because he left the two of us standing in the hall and headed straight to the room I had slept in the night before. I guess I would have to deal with Edward on my own.

"You said I was free to come and go as I wanted. Are you now saying that is not the case?" I asked, folding my arms.

Edward took a deep, frustrated sigh. "Isabella, you said you were going out for a walk. Since when do you go out for an eight hour walk? I was worried about you. I thought something had happened to you. Anything could have fucking happened to you."

"Nothing happened to me."

"Had Mr. Sweetland not called me, I would still be out there looking for you. I would still have people out looking for you. Because of your reckless behavior I had to pull men off jobs to come and look for you. Do you have any idea how that makes me look? If I can't control my wife, then how the fuck can I be expected to run New York? How can I expect my men and the other families to respect me? I'm trying here Isabella, but you aren't making it easy."

"You're trying?" I scoffed, "Really? Because I thought you were the one who had been avoiding me for weeks."

"I've apologized for that."

"So what!?" I snapped. "You decided to apologize and I should just accept it and move on? Do my hair and makeup, be the pretty little wife on your arm, is that it? Is that what I am to you? Arm candy?"

"You're putting words into my mouth Isabella. I've never once said that I expected you to be arm candy. I want a wife who can think for herself, not some brain-dead bimbo, but now that we are on the subject, yes, I expect you to put a smile on your face. When you're out in public I expect you to keep your shit together. You can hate me as much as you want inside this house, but when we are out in public you put a smile on your face and pretend that you actually fucking like me. You pretend that we are a team because any sign of weakness we show out there is a weakness that someone can exploit and use against us. Despite what you may fucking think, I do actually care about you. I may not always know how to show it. This whole marriage thing is as new to me as it is to you, but if anything were to ever happen to you, it would destroy me. I love you, Isabella. I fucking love you whether you choose to believe it or not."

My eyes brimmed with tears as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to find comfort. I didn't know what to say to him after that speech, but I knew he was right. My parents had always put on a united front, as did his parents. I had been letting my emotions get the better of me. I had just been feeling so hurt, so lost. I had needed and wanted him and he wasn't there, but at the same time I hadn't reached out to him either. I hadn't called him once the entire time that he had been gone. Neither of us were perfect, far from it, but somehow we were going to have to find a way to coexist if we were to stand any chance of surviving this ruthless life.

"Come here," Edward said softly. He opened his arms to me and my body immediately responded by walking to him. Whether I chose to admit it or not, my body craved him and the comfort he offered. Edward held me tight against his chest and I ugly cried, letting all the pain and hurt from these last few months out as I clutched onto his shirt, terrified that he would leave me again.

When I was all cried out, Edward picked me up and carried me to our bedroom. He put me down on the bed, and began stripping me of my clothes. I was too weak and tired to protest or even offer him help. I just sat there, letting him do all the work. He stripped me down to my underwear before he removed his own clothes and got into bed with me, pulling me to his chest and holding me tight. He laid beside me the entire night. Not another word was said between us, and at some point I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes and daylight was streaming through the bedroom window.

"Feeling better?" Edward asked, with genuine concern in his voice.

I sat up, wiping my mouth. I had been drooling in my sleep and by the looks of it, all over Edward's bare chest, not that he appeared to mind. "Yes," I said, a little embarrassed.

"Why don't you jump in the shower and I'll let Bruno out and make us breakfast?"

I nodded, a shower sounded like a good idea, as did the food. My stomach grumbled in agreement. Edward left the bedroom and I got out of bed, stumbling toward the en suite. I turned on the shower and did my morning pee, before taking off my underwear and jumping under the hot spray. The warm water felt good on my skin, refreshing even. It felt good to wash the dirt and grime away from the past few weeks.

I was beginning to feel more like my old self by the time I had dressed and headed to the kitchen. I found Edward slaving over the stove. He had made pancakes and bacon again. He either really liked pancakes and bacon or he didn't know how to make any other breakfast. I didn't bother to ask him because pancakes and bacon sounded just fine by me.

"I hope you're hungry," he said, turning around to me and smiling, "because I made loads."

My stomach groaned right on cue. "Starving," I said, putting a voice to my hunger.

Edward set an overloaded plate down in front of me as I sat down at the kitchen island. "I want you to promise me, Isabella, that you are going to start taking proper care of yourself. Eating at mealtimes, showering, not going off for walks eight hours at a time. I want to give you your freedom, but I need to know that you will make safe, smart choices, and if you're struggling… if you are feeling low, depressed, then I want you to tell me. It is nothing to be ashamed of, and we can get you help."

Depressed? I wasn't depressed? Was I? I stared at Edward in shock. Sure, I had been feeling a little low, but that was only normal considering everything I had been through. I was sure I would start to feel better now that life was beginning to settle down. There was no need to put such strong labels on how I had been feeling. "I'm fine, honestly," I said, smiling before I began tucking into my breakfast.

Edward stared at me a moment before continuing. "Good. I have some work to take care of today, but I will be back in time for dinner. Actually, there is someone I want to introduce you to when I come home."

"Who?" I asked, curious.

"My mother has found us a housekeeper. I thought you might like some extra help around the house with the cooking and cleaning." What he really meant was he was unwilling to have a repeat performance of our house in Detroit. Not that I minded having someone else around to do the work.

"I think it's a good idea," I responded.

"Good," Edward said, leaning in and kissing my forehead. "I have to go and get ready, I'll see you later."

"Aren't you eating?" I called after him.

"I ate some pancakes while I was cooking. We slept in so late that I don't have time for a proper breakfast. I'll catch something later. Don't worry about it."

I watched Edward walk off to our bedroom before returning my attention to my breakfast. I guess it was just me and Bruno for the rest of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Big thanks to Sherry & Cristina for this one.

 **Chapter 7**

 **BPOV**

I spent most of the morning exploring the new house and giving Bruno some TLC. He had been neglected these past few weeks and it had been unfair to him. I mean it wasn't his fault that his mom and dad had fallen out or that Marcus had been sent to prison. Speaking of Marcus, I kinda missed him. I mean, I know we hadn't always gotten along, but we had spent an awful lot of time together. The guy had kinda grown on me. I wanted to see him, see how he was doing, but I wasn't sure Edward would go for the idea and I didn't even know where he was imprisoned. How did you even find shit like that out? Did I ask Edward? Google it, or what?

Asking Edward didn't seem like a good idea, we were barely speaking as it was, but I believed he would throw a bitch fit if I went behind his back. The least I could do is ask him, try things his way and if he doesn't want to cooperate then I guess I am free to look at my other options. I sent him a text, trying my best to be inconspicuous.

 _ **Which prison did you say Marcus was in? x**_

He didn't instantly reply, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to do a little research while I waited. I typed Marcus's full name into the Google search bar. A lot of, shall we say, interesting articles came up, but none of it was what I was looking for. I was just about to set my phone down when Edward finally replied.

 _ **I didn't. x**_

Short, sweet and to the point. I made a face at my phone and considered what I should type back to him, but before I could message him back there was a knock at the door. I set my phone down on the counter and walked over to the front door, wondering who it could be. I didn't think anyone knew where we lived. I was shocked to see Maggie standing on the doorstep. "Hey," I said, opening the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Your husband spoke with my father," she beamed. "He thought you might need some company."

"That was thoughtful of him," I smiled, motioning her inside. I was happy to see her now that I felt more like myself. God knows what she must have thought about the mess I was in yesterday.

"Your home is beautiful," Maggie gushed, as she walked inside. Her eyes were busy darting around, trying to take in every detail.

"Thank you. Would you like me to show you around?" I had completely forgotten about Bruno until I heard a growl coming from behind me. Maggie let out a yelp which only encouraged him more. "No, Bruno. Bad," I said, trying to shush him away, but he was determined to stand his ground. In the end, I had to grab his collar and put him outside. "I'm sorry about that," I said to Maggie. "He usually is a big softie, but he isn't so good with strangers. Though, I thought he would have been okay with you since he saw you yesterday."

"Don't worry about it," Maggie said, shrugging it off. "He's just protecting you." She skipped over to my side and linked her arm through mine. "Now show me the house, I'm dying to see it."

I gave Maggie the grand tour. She was extremely enthusiastic about the house, some of her enthusiasm even rubbed off on me. We talked over design ideas. She even offered to come shopping with me when I went to purchase décor. I'll admit it feels good to have a friend again; someone who wasn't in the lifestyle, someone who I could relax around. Maybe being back in New York wouldn't be such a bad idea after-all.

"You know we should totally have a welcome home party for you," Maggie stated in-between biting the straw in her glass of fresh orange juice. We were now sitting outside by the pool on the sun loungers; Bruno had been put inside, much to his displeasure. The sun was nice, but nowhere near warm enough to sunbathe, though it was nice just to get some fresh air.

I made a face at Maggie wondering how I could politely decline her idea. I certainly wasn't in the mood to have a party. Sure, it would be great to see some of the girls again, but something quiet like this would be better.

"I know, why don't we have the party here?" Maggie exclaimed, sitting forward. Her face was lit up like she had just had the best idea in the world.

"I dunno. I don't think Edward would go for that idea." In fact, I knew that Edward wouldn't go for that idea.

Maggie shrugged. "He doesn't need to know. I mean, he works doesn't he? We could totally arrange it around his work schedule. I would even help you tidy up afterward. He would be none the wiser."

I sighed, knowing that no matter if we tidied everything up, Edward would still know. He had his ways. "Maggie, I don't think-"

"Don't say no!" Maggie pouted, putting her hand on my leg. "At least promise me you will think about it."

"Fine, okay. I'll think about it," I said, but I had no intentions of having any kind of party. I would just let her down easy in a few days.

Maggie and I sat outside talking for a few more hours before she took her leave. It was almost dinnertime. I knew Edward would be arriving home soon with our new housekeeper. I wasn't sure if he expected me to cook something or if we were going to order in. I looked through the fridge and cupboards, but the only thing I could possibly make with the ingredients we had was an omelette and even that was touch and go.

"Isabella?" Edward called, as he came in the front door. I sighed with relief, closing the fridge and walking through to the hall to greet him. Standing by his side was a plump, middle-aged woman, with short brown, curly hair. She was all dressed in black, apart from the flowery shawl she wore over her shoulders, which was a mixture of bright greens, pinks and blues. "Isabella, this is Nora, our new housekeeper. Nora, this is my wife, Isabella."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Cullen," Nora said, extending her hand towards me. When I took her hand in mine, she pulled me into her arms and hugged me tightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Nora," I said a little shocked by her affection, "but please, call me, Isabella. There is no need to be so formal."

Nora nodded. "If that is what you prefer." She then turned to Edward and pulled a brown paper bag from his arms. "I better get acquainted with the kitchen, then I bet you are both hungry. Is it this way?" She asked, pointing down the hall.

"Yes, down that way and to the left," I said, watching her walk away. "She seems nice," I said, turning to Edward once she was gone.

"I'm glad you think so. Hopefully, she will be a good fit. Did Maggie come over?"

"Yes, she did. Thank you for sending her. I enjoyed the company. How did you know about her?" I asked, curious.

"Her father told me you and her were old school friends, when he called me yesterday. I had some things that needed my attention, but I didn't want you to be alone all that time. I called her father and asked if she was free, luckily she was. Did you have fun catching up?"

"I did, thank you."

"Good," he said, taking my hand and pulling me forward. "Come and sit with me until dinner is ready. I want to hear about your day. I'm sure it was better than mine."

I happily followed him to the living room, where he sat down on the sofa, pulling me onto his lap. It felt so good to reconnect with him again, even if it was idle chit-chat. It was a start, and hopefully, it was how our marriage would carry on.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thanks to Sherry, Paige, Cristina & Tiffany.

Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I just haven't felt like writing. It was actually nice to get a break and some rest. Anyway, I'll try and not make you wait as long for the next one xx

 **Chapter 8**

 **BPOV**

Things between Edward and I were better. It wasn't perfect, far from it, but at least we weren't trying to rip each other's throats out every second of the day. I think that might be partly to do with the amount of hours he was still spending outside the house. Not that I minded, I couldn't stand the thought of him hanging over me day, trying to ensure that I was okay. When I needed company I had Nora or Maggie. Nora was nice; she was like the motherly figure that I no longer had. She cooked, cleaned and took an interest in me, making sure I was looking after myself, but not in a suffocating way like Edward did.

Maggie on the other hand, although I was enjoying her company, she was being her usual pushy self. She was still pushing for this party, which I had said no to countless times and to be honest, it wasn't even the thought of Edward's reaction. I just didn't want to be around a lot of people right now, which was why I had been postponing meeting the rest of my friends. I just didn't feel like myself. My moods fluctuated on a daily basis, which is why I had been trying my best to keep to myself. I was beginning to think that maybe Edward was right. Maybe I was depressed, but I wasn't ready to admit that just yet. I kept telling myself that it was understandable that my moods were all over the place, especially with everything I had been through. Things would sort themselves out soon enough.

"Hey," Maggie said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Where did you go?"

"Sorry," I said, glancing around myself. I had completely zoned out. Maggie had managed to convince me to come to the mall. Retail therapy I think she called it. Sure, I had purchased a few things, but mostly to keep her quiet. I wasn't feeling the therapy part. We used to spend a lot of time at the mall before I went to Detroit, but I was slowly starting to find out that I wasn't the same person anymore. I didn't enjoy the same things. Shopping was no longer a thrill for me; it was more like a chore.

"Those guys over there are watching us," Maggie said, subtly nodding her head towards the other end of the food court. That got my attention. Had Edward sent someone to watch over me or were we in danger? I looked toward the two guys she had motioned to. I didn't recognize them so they couldn't have possibly been from Edward. They both looked like they could be brothers because they both had the same piercing blue eyes. The only difference was one had short blonde hair and the other had short brown hair. They both were wearing Adidas tracksuits. They certainly weren't someone that we would normally give the time of day, but for some reason Maggie couldn't stop staring at them. She even lifted her hand and waved.

"Stop that," I hissed, shoving her hand down.

"What?" She asked, confused. "I think the blonde one is cute."

They must have taken her wave as an invitation to come over because when I looked back up they were both walking over to us. The blonde was the first to speak; he spoke with a strange accent that I couldn't quite place. "Good afternoon ladies, may we join you?" he asked, motioning to the two empty chairs at our table.

"Yes," Maggie answered enthusiastically before I had the chance to speak.

"No," I quickly protested as the blonde pulled out a chair. "We were actually just leaving." I didn't want to think what Edward would have thought if he saw me sitting with two strange men, not to mention that we didn't know a thing about them. They could have been anyone, and it wasn't as if we were short on enemies.

"But you've barely touched your food," Maggie pouted, her eyes pleading with me to change my mind.

I quickly stood, grabbing her wrist, trying to pull her to her feet. As harmless as these guys looked I knew that wasn't necessarily the case. "I have to get home. Edward is expecting me." I made a point of letting them see my wedding band and letting them know I was expected, hoping they would back off.

"Just because you have to go, doesn't mean your friend has to," the brown haired one stated. He was chewing on a cocktail stick, eyeing me with amusement.

"That's true," Maggie said, smiling up at me. I didn't like the thought of leaving her on her own. It was at times like these that I wished Maggie was a little more clued-in on the world we lived in. "You go, I'll be fine," she assured me.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"We'll make sure she gets home safely," the blonde said. I bet they would.

"She doesn't even know you-" I began.

"My name is Viktor," the blonde said, placing his hand on his heart, "and this here is my brother Pavel. There, now we are acquainted."

They were too pushy for my liking. "I would like a word with my friend, alone," I said, grabbing Maggie again and pulling her away from them until we were out of earshot.

"Isabella, what has gotten into you?" she asked concerned.

"You can't stay here with these guys. It's not safe."

Maggie laughed. "Isabella, please. As if it's the first stranger I've hooked up with. Anyway, they look harmless, plus Viktor is hot. If it makes you feel any better I promise not to go home with them. Although, I can't promise to keep my hands to myself. Are you sure you don't want the brother? He's cute too."

"I'm married, remember?"

"It doesn't mean you have to sleep with the same guy for the rest of your life."

"Yeah, actually it does."

Maggie shrugged. "Sleeping around isn't that big of a deal. Everybody does it. My father does it all the time. In fact, it's your father's club he goes to. The one Edward inherited, right? You can't honestly tell me that you think Edward keeps it in his pants, not when he's around those strippers."

"What strippers? What club? What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"Black Lace, you haven't heard of it?"

No. I hadn't. Was that where Edward had been spending all his time, 'working'? I didn't know a lot about the kind of business my father had run, other than a few bars and restaurants. He had kept his work to himself and we weren't expected to ask questions, but now that I knew about the place I was certainly going to check it out. If Edward had been spending his time around strippers instead of me, then I would string him up by his balls.

Maggie smiled as if she knew she has successfully distracted me. "I should go. I don't want to keep the brothers waiting. You should go, Edward's waiting after all."

I said my goodbyes to her and made her promise to call me to let me know that she had gotten home safely. On the way to my car I checked my phone to see a text message from Edward saying he wasn't going to make it home tonight. He was too busy. It was then that I decided to make a stop at _his_ club.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Thanks goes to Paige, Sherry, Cristina & Tiffany xx

Sorry this one has taken so long. I am be no means giving up on this one. I have a good completion rate, but when the story isn't talking and I am not in the mood to write, I cannot force it out.

 **Chapter 9**

 **BPOV**

When I arrived outside the club it was already busy considering the time of day. There were several men in suits standing by the door. I knew their MO straightaway just by the way they carried themselves. It was going to be tricky getting into the club, especially trying to get past the guards, but at this point I wasn't willing to walk away. I had to know if Edward was in there and if this is where he spent most of his time. If I caught him with another woman I would kill him. I wouldn't stand for a husband who cheated on me. He had taken a vow and made me promises. If he had broken them, there would be no going back. There would be no us.

I parked my car and grabbed my purse, ensuring that my gun was inside before I stepped out. The guards saw me coming straightaway. One of them stepped forward, holding up his hand. "I'm sorry sweetheart this is a gentleman's club, members only."

"Oh, I believe I'm on the guest list," I said, continuing to walk toward him. "It should be right there, underneath Cullen, formally Swan. You know because my husband owns this place and it used to be my father's."

His face briefly flashed with shock before he masked it. "I'm sorry Mrs. Cullen I can't permit you to enter. This isn't a place for a lady such as you."

"Just as well I don't need you to permit me to do anything," I said, glaring at him. "I can and will be entering this establishment. Unless, of course, you plan to manhandle me, but I don't think my husband would appreciate that. Do you?"

"Mrs. Cullen, please, your husband will have my head if I allow you inside," the guard stated, his eyes pleading to my rational side, but at that moment in time there was nothing rational about me.

"Where is he?" I said, stepping forward. "Is he inside?"

The guard quickly moved in front of me. "He's not on the premises." I scoffed, finding that hard to believe. I bet he was in there with some hussy drooling all over him. The thought had my blood boiling. I wasn't the sharing type. I quickly moved around him and headed toward the door. One of the other guards moved to grabbed me, but the first guard shouted at him. "Don't! If you value that hand, don't touch her. She is the boss's wife."

"Mrs. Cullen!" the guard shouted as he followed me. "I will have to call your husband, let him know you are here."

"You do what you have to do," I said, as I opened the door and headed inside, but I secretly prayed that I would catch Edward in the act before they had the chance to alert him.

The main doors led into a small entrance hall, which then led to a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs there was another guard. I doubted that stripping was the only thing that the girls did in here when they had so much security. I hurried up the stairs, not acknowledging the guard who stood there. He moved to block my path, but at the same time the first guard came through the door and called to him, shaking his head. I could see that he was talking on his cell to someone. I just prayed that someone wasn't Edward.

I pushed past the guard at the top of the stairs and entered the club. It was just as you would expect any other strip club to look like. There was pole after pole with naked and nearly naked girls dancing. All of the clientele appeared to be in suits, and most of whom appeared to be in their late forties, if not older. I figured most of these men were part of the mafia and really I should have known better than to show up here. I should have known better than to cause a scene, but like I had said, I had lost the power of rational thought.

I stormed over to a set of closed doors, there was another guard standing at them. I figured this was where most of the extra activities took place, and also where I would most likely catch Edward. Just like all the other times, the guard saw me coming. He stuck his hand out to stop me. "I'm sorry miss, but I can't let you through here, you shouldn't even be in this club. It's a members only club." When I ignored him and continued to the door, he put his hand out and caught my wrist. "I said, I can't let you through there. Lady, are you listening?"

I used my free hand to reach into my bag and pull out my gun. I shoved it against his gut. "I can and will be going through that door. The only question here is whether or not I'll be stepping over your dead body on the floor."

"Are you insane?" he hissed at me. "Do you have any idea who owns this club or what will happen to you if you pull that trigger?"

"As a matter-of-fact, I do."

"Isabella." I heard someone calling my name, but I never paid them any attention. I kept my focus on the guard in front of me. One slip up and he would have the chance to pull his gun, and then things could get nasty. "Isabella." They called again.

"Miss, please, you don't want to do this. Just put the gun back in your purse and walk away. We can pretend this never happened. Look, you're already gathering attention. Stop this foolishness before it goes too far."

"Isabella," they called again. This time a hand landed on my shoulder. I glanced behind me to see Liam. "What are you doing here? What is going on?"

"I'm looking for my husband," I snarled. "This bastard won't let me past," I said, shoving my gun further into his gut.

"Maso, stand down," Liam ordered. "This is Isabella, Edward's wife." The guard looked at me with a shocked expression before standing back. I lowered my gun and then burst through the doors. The doors led to a corridor with at least another twenty doors inside. I proceeded to open them, looking inside and ignoring whatever it was that Liam was attempting to say to me. Inside the rooms were just as I had expected. Men getting their fill from the 'strippers' of the club, but none of them were Edward.

"Will you listen to me!" Liam shouted. "He's not here. He doesn't come here all that often. I have no idea why you thought you would find him here or how you even learned about this place."

"You're only saying that to protect him," I said, turning to face him, tears stinging my eyes. "You wouldn't tell me if he was here anyway."

"You're right, I probably wouldn't, but I can honestly say I am telling you the truth. Edward isn't here."

I shook my head, realizing I had let Maggie get in my head. I knew she was trying to distract me, get rid of me and I had let her. I should have known better. Tears silently strolled down my face. "I shouldn't have come here," I mumbled. Edward was going to be furious and really, in all honestly, I should have known my husband better. I should have trusted him and given him the benefit of the doubt. Edward may be a lot of things, but he wasn't a cheater.

"You're right, you shouldn't have. Let me take you home."

I shook my head. "The guard downstairs already called Edward. I presume he will be on his way. He is going to be so angry with me."

Liam stepped forward and took my gun from my hand. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it. He shoved it down the back of his trousers and pulled his suit jacket over to cover it. "If you won't let me take you home, at least let me take you somewhere a little more private."

I nodded. Liam led me out of the corridor and back into the club. People were staring. I did my best to avoid eye contact with them. I kept my head down and followed Liam. He led me to an office on the other side of the club. The office was practically bare. No pictures or anything personal to indicate who it belonged to. "Wait here," Liam ordered. "I'll go and get you something to drink."

He was barely gone two minutes when Edward barged into the room. "Are you out of your fucking mind!?" Yeah, furious was an understatement to the look on his face now.

"I'm sorry-" I began, but he was having none of it.

"A promise to make a united front; does that mean anything to you, Isabella? You come in here where you don't belong and cause a scene. Embarrass me and my fucking men, and how the hell did you even know about this place anyway? You certainly haven't mentioned it before."

"Maggie."

"Maggie!?"

"She said her father came here to cheat, that you all do it. I shouldn't have listened to her. I see that now. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"Isn't it about damn time that you start thinking?"

I glared at him. "I'm sorry that I'm not the perfect wife that you require, Edward, but I am damn well trying. This isn't easy, you aren't easy."

Edward's face softened a little. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed before walking over to me. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes. "I'm not looking for a perfect wife, Isabella. I just want you to start using what I know is in here," he said, pointing to my head. "Why didn't you call me?"

I shrugged. "Because I thought if I came here I would be able to catch you in the act."

"You actually thought I was cheating on you? I told you, I swore a vow, one that I have no intention of breaking. When are you going to start trusting me, Isabella? Why couldn't you give me the benefit of the doubt?"

There was a knock at the door, and then Liam entered, holding a drink. He walked over to me and handed it to me. I took a big drink, expecting it to be water, but it wasn't, it was vodka. The strong smell would have been an indicator if I had paused long enough to smell it. I choked a little as it burned its way down my throat.

"You," Edward said, looking at Liam. "What happened?"

Liam glanced at me, offering me a reassuring smile before turning his attention to Edward. "I saw Isabella arguing with one of the guards and I came over to see what was happening. I told Maso who she was and to let her pass. Then I talked to her and brought her to your office."

"Is that all that happened?"

"Yes."

I didn't fail to notice that Liam had failed to mention my gun or the fact that I had looked in all the rooms. I wasn't sure why he was keeping it from Edward, but I was grateful. Though, I wasn't sure if the others would say anything to him.

Edward nodded. "Take Isabella home and stay with her until I get there. I'll deal with things here and then head home."

Liam nodded and motioned for me to follow him. I sat my glass on the desk and looked at Edward, but he didn't look at me. So I didn't bother with a goodbye. I quietly followed Liam out of the club, only bothering to speak when we were truly alone in my car. "Why didn't you tell him about the gun?" I inquired.

"I thought it was better that he didn't know."

"Won't the others say anything?"

"I warned them not to."

Like I said, I wasn't sure why he was helping me, but I was grateful. "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Hey! Yes I did change the name of the story. I've been toying with the idea for awhile and decided to do it after I updated last time, which is why there was no note. I think The Ties That Burn fits better than Tied To New York.

A huge thanks to my ladies, Paige, Sherry, Tiffany & Cristina xx

 **Chapter 10**

When I arrived home, I found Maggie in the kitchen with Nora, sitting drinking a cup of coffee. As soon as I saw her my anger flared. She had deliberately manipulated me and caused me to make a scene. Not only that, but she had caused more problems in my already failing marriage. I wanted to cause her a world of hurt, let her know that I wasn't some meek pushover. I was the wife of a mafia boss and if she was going to mess with me then she was going to feel my wrath.

I marched over to her and grabbed her by the hair. I yanked her by the hair of her head, pulling her off of the stool she was sitting on. She let out a scream as she scrambled to find her feet. Nora let out a gasp and I think Liam may have shouted at me to let her go, but I wasn't paying any attention to him. "Bella, what the hell, what are you doing!?" Maggie screamed as she clutched onto my hands, trying to free her hair.

"You think you are so funny, don't you?" I hissed. "Sending me over there, making me think my husband is cheating."

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Maggie shouted, with an innocent expression on her face. If I didn't know any better, I might have believed her.

"Isabella," Liam said sternly, grabbing my arm. "Let her go."

"No," I snapped, "not until she admits that she was trying to play me."

"Isabella, honey," Nora pleaded. "Let the girl go. Whatever has happened, there is no need to resort to violence." Maggie started sobbing, that was when I noticed how both Nora and Liam were looking at me, like I was the one in the wrong. Couldn't they see her for what she was, for what she had done? I reluctantly let her go and growled in frustration. Liam moved me away from her as if he didn't trust me not to attack her again.

I threw my hands up in a sign of surrender. They were clearly buying into her bullshit and I wasn't going to stand around to watch. "I want her out of my house," I ordered Liam before I went in search of Bruno, wondering why he hadn't come to investigate all the commotion. I found him lying on my bed, in some sort of food coma. Since Nora had come into our lives she had started feeding him, overfeeding him. He was slowly getting fat and lazy. Though part of that was my fault since I hadn't been walking him, not since the last time that I had gone on a walk and lost eight hours.

I sat next to him, stroking his fur, unaware of anything else until someone called my name. "Isabella?" I looked up to see Liam standing in the doorway. "I thought I would come and check on you, make sure you are okay."

"I'm fine," I snapped, still annoyed with him.

"You sure?" he asked, walking into the room. He came over and sat down beside me on the bed. "You don't look fine. What was that all about with your friend and what was that about back at the club?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter." I didn't expect him to understand, nor care.

"Tell me," Liam said, reaching out and lightly touching my arm. "Come on, we've known each other for years. I worked for your father. I hate seeing you like this. I know that you and Maggie have been friends for a long time, it's not like you to fight."

"Yeah, well, people change."

"You've changed," he said, reaching out and stroking the side of my cheek. "You're no longer the little girl I used to watch growing up, you're a woman now. A beautiful, strong woman. I hate to see you sad and hurting. You know you can talk to me, right? I know it must feel like at times that you have no one, but you have me. You can talk to me. I'm here for you."

For some reason this conversation just felt strange, wrong even, and the fact that it was taking place on top of my bed didn't help the feeling of unease that was now growing in the pit of my stomach. I let out a fake yawn. "Thanks. I'm kinda tired. I think I'm gonna go to sleep. Can you let Nora know that she can go home now? Edward should be home soon and then you can go too." For some reason I felt the need to remind him that Edward would be coming home soon.

Liam nodded, but never said another word. I watched him walk out of the room, breathing a sigh of relief when he was gone. I then cuddled up with Bruno and closed my eyes, not bothering to undress. I just wanted to lay there with my one true friend, my loyal companion.

I must have drifted off to sleep because I woke up at some point during the night with Edward moving me under the covers. I moaned at the movement. "Shhh, it's just me," he assured me. "Close your eyes and go back to sleep. I was just moving you because you were cold." I reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him to me. I wanted him to hold me. I wanted to know that he was no longer mad at me, that he still loved me. I sighed in contentment when he didn't fight me, but rather climbed into bed behind me and held me tight against his chest. I closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take me once again, knowing that one way or another we would make it. We would find a way back to each other.

When I woke up in the morning Edward was still sound asleep. I got up and let Bruno outside to potty before switching the coffee machine on and heading for a shower. I knew Edward and I needed to talk, especially about what happened last night. I just hoped he believed me when I told him that Maggie was the one that told me about the club.

By the time I got out of the shower and dressed, he was already awake and sitting at the kitchen island. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down beside him, wondering which one of us would be the one to break the silence.

"You know, I keep going over it again and again in my head," Edward began, "trying to figure out what the hell I've done to you to make you think I would ever cheat on you, but I'm at a loss. So you'll have to help me out here. Tell me. Why the hell would you think that I would do that to you?"

"I didn't, I don't," I said, focusing my full attention on the mug in my hand. "I let Maggie get in my head. I don't know why she wanted me to think that you would do something like that, but she did. Maybe it was because those guys approached us or maybe she gets her kicks out of starting drama. I don't know. She's always been a little twisted, but I know I shouldn't have gone to the club. I was just so mad. The thought of you with another woman made my blood boil."

"What guys?"

"Huh?" I said, looking at Edward, confused.

"You said something about guys approaching you."

"Oh. When we were at the mall. Two guys about our age approached us and asked to sit with us. I tried to get Maggie to leave, but she wasn't having any of it. She even suggested that I have some fun with one of them. That was when I reminded her I was married and then she accused you of cheating. She said everyone does."

"I don't want you hanging around her anymore. She was supposed to be a good friend for you, but she sounds like nothing but trouble." I was relieved that he had taken me at my word instead of siding with Maggie, as I was sure Nora or Liam would have told him about me attacking her last night. Perhaps he was giving me the courtesy of trust so in time I would do the same for him. "Now, tell me about these guys."

I shrugged. "There isn't much to tell. They approached us and I tried to get Maggie to leave, when she wouldn't and she didn't like I wasn't staying to hang out with them, she told me about the club and I went there."

"Do you remember their names?"

"One of them was called Victor, but I can't remember the other's name. They said they were brothers. They had a strange accent, but I'm not sure where it was from."

Edward sighed. "I don't want you going around on your own anymore. I don't know who these guys are, but I don't like that they approached you and that you were unprotected." I opened my mouth to protest, but he held his finger up. "Don't fight me on this Isabella. If you'd had a guard then last night wouldn't have happened. They would never have allowed you into the club."

"I don't need a babysitter," I hissed.

"Don't you?"

"I don't want some random guy following me around, Edward."

"It won't be some random guy. What about Liam? You know him. You seemed comfortable with him last night."

Something inside of me told me this wouldn't be a good idea, but I couldn't voice that opinion, not without a reason to back it up. I knew if I told Edward that Liam made me feel uncomfortable, he would mostly likely end up dead and I didn't want that. Maybe I misread things. I had been a little out of sorts last night.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't updated in ages. I have a lot going on, but I wanted to go out of my way to give you a little update before I go away. Hopefully things will settle down more when I come back and I can update more often.

Big thanks to my girls, Sherry, Paige, Cristina & Tiffany xx

 **Chapter 11**

Okay, so maybe I hadn't misread things with Liam. There was definitely something off about the way he was acting toward me. Part of me wanted to believe his intentions were innocent, like maybe he felt protective of me because of his ties to my father, but deep down I knew that wasn't it. The betrayal of my sister, my own flesh and blood, was still too vivid in my memory to be that naive.

I suppose one good thing had come out of his over-friendliness; I had managed to persuade him to take me to see Marcus, even against Edward's wishes. It was as if Liam would do anything he could to please me. I knew being alone with him in a car for so long wasn't exactly my brightest idea, especially when Edward had no clue where I was, and couldn't exactly come to my aid, but I had to reach out to Marcus. I missed him. He was one of the very few people I knew I could trust. I thought if maybe I could talk to him, then I could find a way to get him out of prison or maybe even get Edward to listen to reason. All I knew was that I had to try. I wanted Marcus back.

"What are you doing here?" Marcus asked, as he took the seat across the table from me. I won't lie, the prison's family visitation day was extremely busy and I felt a little nervous being in here on my own. I couldn't have been more relieved when Marcus had finally come through the door. A few of the guys had been making eyes at me. One of them had even blown me a kiss, but all of that stopped the second Marcus approached my table. I guess he had made a name for himself, even in here.

"I thought you would have been happy to see me," I said, a little hurt that he hadn't been more welcoming. I didn't believe he would get many visitors in here. You'd think he would have been happy to see a familiar face.

"Does Edward know you are here?" he asked. There was no warmth in his eyes. No sign of the bond we had once shared. I was beginning to question why I had even bothered coming here.

"Of course he does," I lied, staring Marcus straight in the eye and hoping he bought it.

"How did you get here?"

What was this, an interrogation? "Liam brought me. He was the one who organized the visitor pass. I wanted to come and see how you were doing," I said, shifting nervously as I glanced around the room.

"I'm fine, but you shouldn't have come here. I seriously doubt Edward has any idea that you are here. In fact, I intend to call him the second you are gone to check out your story. Liam should have known better than to bring you here. Why isn't he in here with you, protecting you?" he snapped.

"I convinced him to wait outside," I mumbled.

"He should know better."

"I wanted to talk to you alone. I convinced him it was safe enough with you and the guards being here."

"Safe?" Marcus scoffed. "There is nothing safe about this room. It would just take seconds for someone to grab you and harm you. Edward has plenty of enemies, as did your father. If half the men in this room knew who you were they would have attacked you, or even killed you, in the blink of an eye. Both of us know that this is the last place Edward would want you to be and even if you had convinced him to let you come there is no way he would have let you come alone. He would have been here with you to protect you. So why don't we cut the shit, princess, why are you here?"

I blinked back tears. I hadn't expected Marcus to be so short with me. "I, uh… I don't know. Everything is just a mess. Edward and I aren't getting along. Liam is being strange and my friend Maggie is being even stranger. I don't like the new housekeeper. She's too nice. She tries too hard, and she is making Bruno slow and fat. I just wanted you out. I know I was always a royal pain in your ass, but I know I can trust you. I know I am safe with you."

"You don't feel safe with Liam?" he questioned. "What do you mean he is being strange?"

I shrugged, looking down at my hands, realizing I had said too much. "He, um, followed me into my bedroom the other night. I dunno… he was touching me and-"

"He was touching you?" Marcus scowled.

I reached over and grabbed his hand. "Please, don't say anything to Edward. It will only cause more problems. Maybe I'm… I dunno. Maybe I'm reading things wrong," I said, even though I knew I wasn't. I just didn't want Liam to be a bad guy. I didn't want Edward to kill him.

"Isabella, my job is to protect you, sometimes even if that means protecting you from yourself. You need to have a talk with your husband. Tell him your concerns. If Liam is innocent, then he has nothing to worry about, but there is no way he should be putting his hands on you. Fuck, what were you even thinking about traveling down here with him? I don't like the thought of you being alone with him. Not when I don't know what he is up to. I want you to promise me that you are gonna leave here and call your husband. I want you to tell him everything."

I shook my head. "Edward is already angry with me. I don't want to piss him off any more. I let my friend Maggie manipulate me into going to his strip club. She had convinced me that he was cheating and I may have caused a scene. Then, there is the other stuff… let's just say things have been spiralling out of control since our last visit to New York. Edward hasn't forgiven me for putting myself in danger. We've barely talked for weeks. In fact, I didn't even know you were in here. I thought you were angry with me, too, or at the very least avoiding me."

"I wasn't avoiding you, Isabella. I made a stupid, drunken mistake and Edward decided to teach me a lesson. I now realize you need twenty-four hour surveillance, whether the Russians are after you or not. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"It's okay," I shrugged. "I guess we both have a knack for pissing off my husband."

The guard called time. Marcus looked me straight in the eye. "Call Edward or I will," he said, and then he was off.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Thanks to my lovely ladies, Sherry, Paige, Tiffany & Cristina.

Thanks for your patience with this one. Hopefully I can now find more time to write xx

 **Chapter 12**

I knew I should call Edward. It was the right thing to do, but if I was being honest… the thought of calling my husband and telling him about Liam terrified me. I knew he would be furious that I hadn't been honest with him from the start, but not only that, he would be angry that I had gone with Liam knowing that it could be dangerous. Part of me worried that Edward would eventually get sick of me and my antics, but really, who could blame him? I wondered where I would end up if he did get sick of me. Would he put a bullet in my head or would I end up hidden away on the other side of the country where he didn't have to put up with my shit? I didn't know and I really didn't want to find out.

So when I left the prison I did something that went against every fiber of my being. I pulled out my cell and called him. I saw Liam get out of the car and begin to walk toward me. I held up my hand to tell him to wait there and then motioned that I would only be about two minutes. I prayed that he listened to me and stayed where he was. I could hardly tell Edward about him when he was standing beside me.

Edward picked up after a few rings. "Yeah?" His tone was clipped, making me already begin to think about backing out of telling him. Perhaps I should wait till I got home. Though there was a chance that I would never make it home. If Liam kidnapped me, maybe Edward wouldn't come looking for me, thinking I had gotten what I deserved. "Isabella?" Edward said, this time his tone was a lot softer. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said, swallowing back a lump in my throat. "I'm okay. I'm here."

"You don't sound okay," he stated. I heard the sounds of him walking and then closing a door. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

"Promise you won't be angry," I whispered, knowing he would be angry with me anyway, regardless of any promises made.

"What's going on?" he asked, making no such promises. "Where is Liam?"

"He's here," I assured him. "He's part of the reason I am calling."

"Isabella," he said, sternly. "Tell me what is going on."

"I'm at the prison. I went to visit Marcus."

I heard Edward curse followed by silence on his end. I stood there patiently waiting for him to speak, waiting for him to say anything. After a few minutes he finally said. "I can't believe you went against my wishes or that Liam enabled you. He has a lot of explaining to do." I swallowed hard knowing that wasn't the only explaining he would have to do. "I want you home now. Put Liam on so I can have a word with him."

I glanced up to see that Liam was now walking toward me again, probably wondering what was going on. My chance to tell Edward was fading. "There is something else," I whispered.

"I'm not sure I even want to know," Edward sighed with exasperation. "What could be worse than you disobeying my instructions?"

I looked back up. Liam was now close enough to hear anything I said. "Erm… maybe I should tell you when I get home," I suggested.

"Perhaps you should," Edward replied.

"Edward wants to speak to you," I said, handing my cell to Liam. I didn't even hang around to hear what was said. I headed straight to the car, sliding into the front passenger seat. That was when I dared to look at Liam. His face was blank, giving nothing away. At least he wasn't angry. I hoped.

A few minutes later he wandered over to the car and got in the driver's seat, handing me my cell. "Who told him?" he asked as he fastened his seatbelt.

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Marcus must have called him as soon as I left." Liam said nothing as he put the car into drive and sped out of the parking lot. I sat there waiting and waiting for him to say something else, but he never did.

About ten minutes later my cell rang. Edward's name flashed on the screen and my stomach clenched. Marcus must have called him for real this time. Part of me was scared to answer the call. What if he said something and Liam overheard? Although the other part of me realized that I had to answer the call. There would be hell to pay if I didn't.

"Yeah?" I said quietly, picking up the call.

"You should have told me the rest," Edward said before ending the call.

"What did he want?" Liam asked, glancing over at me.

I shrugged. "He's just angry with me."

"Don't worry," Liam said, reaching over and placing his hand on my leg. "His bark is worse than his bite."

 _If only that were true_ , I thought. Liam was the one who was soon going to find out. There was no doubt in my mind that Marcus had called Edward and told him everything. I only hoped that I had earned myself brownie points for attempting to talk to him. I wasn't good at this talking shit, but at least I had tried, right? Right? He couldn't be angry with me for that… surely.

The drive home was long, awkward and full of silence. I kept wondering what awaited us at home. Of course, Liam had no idea the extent of what awaited him. He seemed blissfully unaware and I felt no need to fill him in. I just prayed that I didn't need to bear witness to whatever was going to happen.

When we arrived home Edward was outside, pacing back and forth on the driveway. The glint in his eyes had me wondering whether I should run to him or away from him. I did neither. I got out of the car, trying my best to pretend that everything was okay. As far as Liam knew we had only been caught going to the prison. He had no idea that Edward was aware of his overfriendly hands.

"Hey," I said hesitantly to Edward as I got out the car.

"Isabella, go in the house," Edward instructed.

I nodded, hurrying inside and away from the two of them. I was happy to find the house was empty, apart from Bruno, who was currently locked out in the backyard. I thought about heading to my bedroom and waiting till it was all over. I was a Don's wife. I was supposed to face this head-on. I would face this head-on. It was about time I started trying to act like as I was expected to act.

I sat down at the dining table and took a deep breath, trying to settle my nerves. I only had to wait a few more seconds before Edward and Liam came bursting into the house. Edward had Liam by the scruff of the neck. Liam already had a bloody nose. Edward tossed him to the floor and then slammed the front door behind them. "Imagine how I felt when I got a call from my wife to tell me that she had been to the prison to visit Marcus against my wishes. Not only had you taken her to the prison, but I find out that she had managed to convince you to wait outside. Do you have any idea what could have happened to her if anyone recognized her?"

Liam never answered. He remained on the floor watching Edward, waiting for the next blow. Though he did dare to chance a glance at me. I realized that Edward had given away the fact that I had been the one to call him. Liam must have been all sorts of confused right now.

"Then imagine how I felt when I got a call from Marcus informing me of the conversation he had with my wife. You see, it would seem that my wife feels more comfortable confiding in her old bodyguard than her husband. That's something that I will need to discuss with her, but nonetheless, I am grateful that she was able to confide in someone because if she hadn't I would never have found out that you had touched her."

"Touched her?" Liam gasped. "I never touched her." He looked at me as if expecting me to back him up.

"No?" Edward questioned. "So are you saying that she is a liar?"

"No… I'm just saying, that she must be confused," Liam stuttered.

"Are you confused, Isabella?" Edward asked me, never taking his eyes off Liam.

"No."

"So he touched you?" Edward questioned.

"Yes."

"When? Where?"

"The night after the strip club incident, he followed me into my bedroom and sat down beside me on my bed. He touched my arm, stroked my cheek and told me I was beautiful."

"I was only trying to comfort her," Liam protested. "She was upset and looked like she needed someone to talk to."

"And you needed to tell her she was beautiful to do that? You needed to follow her into her bedroom to do that?" Liam never answered. "No one touches my wife," Edward growled. "No one." He pulled out his gun from its holster and took the safety off, pointing it Liam. Liam held up his hands as if it would protect him from the bullets. It didn't. Edward fired three bullets into him, one to the head and two to the chest. I said nothing as I watched Liam's body go limp, his blood spilling out over our floor.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Thanks to my ladies, Tiffany, Paige, Sherry & Cristina. Who I'd be lost without xx

 **Chapter 13**

"Where's Nora?" I asked, glancing around the room. She was still normally here at this time of day. I wondered if he had sent her home because he knew what was going to happen. That was when I noticed a pool of blood coming out from behind the kitchen island.

"She's been taken care of," Edward said coming over to me and pulling me to my feet. Taken care of? I stared at him, but she hadn't done anything. Why would he... Why would he kill her? "I'm not taking any chances when it comes to you," he said, cupping my face. "I cleaned house. Maggie will no longer be a problem either. Her father has already been compensated. I'm also busting Marcus outta prison. I should never have let him go in there in the first place. I was pissed at him and trying to teach him a lesson, and in doing so I put you in danger. For that I'm sorry."

I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure what to say. Instead, I stared up at him in stunned silence. He had killed both Nora and Maggie, and he had done it to protect me. He also seemed far too calm for someone who had gone on a murdering spree and for a husband whose wife had gone against his wishes. I had expected him to be angry with me. I had expected him to scream and shout, but I had never once expected him to apologize or try to comfort me. I had to admit, I liked this softer, kinder Edward. It was a side of him that he didn't always show. I reached up and touched the side of his face, tears glistening in my eyes. "I'm sorry, too. I know I don't always make things easy for you, but I am trying."

"I know you are," he said, squeezing my chin. "Go and pack a bag, princess. We're going back to Detroit for a few days."

"Both of us?" I quizzed, wondering if he was coming with me or if I was being sent away.

"Both of us," he reassured me. He leaned in and placed a kiss on my cheek before turning me around to face the bedrooms and slapping my ass. It was his way of telling me to hurry. I did as he asked, not giving a second thought to the dead bodies in my home. I packed a bag for both of us and when I returned to Edward, the cleanup crew had already arrived.

"Ready," I said, looking between him and Liam, who was currently being wrapped up in a plastic sheet. I wondered if that was how we were all going to end up some day. Would Edward and I even get the chance to live until we were old and grey, or would one of our enemies catch up to us eventually? Would we go out of this world wrapped in a plastic sheet or buried in a coffin?

Edward squeezed my arm, snapping me from my thoughts. "Go and get Bruno. I'll grab our things and meet you at the car." I nodded, making my way to the back door. Bruno was still out in the backyard. He was acting a little anxious now that there were strangers in his house. Not to mention he had watched the entire show from the window.

"Hey boy," I said, as I crouched down and rubbed my hand through his fur, though his attention wasn't on me, but the men inside. "We're going back to Detroit," I said to him softly. "We're going home, and Uncle Marcus is getting out of prison. He' s gonna come and see you. Life is going back to normal," I said before kissing his head and giving him a big hug. I truly hoped that life was going to get back to normal. Things certainly hadn't been perfect for us in Detroit, but things weren't exactly better in New York. I just wanted to find some kind of happiness with Edward where we weren't at each other's throats every second of the day. I wanted to enjoy spending time with him and I wanted him to enjoy spending time with me. I wanted him to be proud to have me as his wife, not ashamed because of the embarrassment I had been causing him lately. I knew I had to get my act together.

Edward knocked on the patio window, startling me from my thoughts. He motioned for me to hurry up. I guess I had been taking too long. I picked Bruno's leash up from one of the outside chairs and fastened it onto his collar before bringing him in. "Sorry, he was a little nervous," I told Edward. "I was just trying to soothe him."

Bruno let out a growl and pulled towards one of the cleaners. I was almost pulled off my feet, but Edward grabbed the leash from me just in time and held him back. "Bruno, sit!" he bellowed and Bruno did exactly that, which was surprising. I guess he could sense that Edward wasn't in the mood for messing around. Either that or he had realized who the alpha was after Edward's little show. Edward tightened the hold on his leash and put his hand on the small of my back, leading the both of us to his car.

He never spoke a word on the way to the airport and I didn't push him to speak either. I still wasn't sure what to think of his mood. He had been soft and gentle toward me in the house, but he had also murdered three people without batting an eye. Two of whom may not have deserved it... I still wasn't sure what to think of that, but I had no right to judge. My hands weren't exactly clean either. Nora and Maggie were gone now, there was no point dwelling on it. I just had to accept that Edward had done what he believed was right for us and move on.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Hey! I know, I know, it's been awhile, but planning to be updating more often now that The Rub is finished and The Alpha won't be far behind.

A huge thank you to Banshee69, Edaddict3254, CristinaN & Tiffany L Cullen.

 **Chapter 14**

When we arrived in Detroit it was late. I was tired and ready to curl up in bed. So when I looked out of the plane's window I was surprised to see Edward's family standing there waiting to greet us. Everyone was there; Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice. I glanced at Edward wondering why we were receiving such a big welcome, but he merely shrugged his shoulders not offering me an answer. I didn't push him for one either. He hadn't exactly been talkative on the plane. I wasn't sure if that was down to the fact that he was still angry with me, or because only a few hours ago he had taken three lives. I wasn't naïve. I knew that killing was part of his lifestyle. I just didn't know if it affected him after he had done the job and by that I didn't mean he was soulless. I meant a person could condition them self to not feel when it came to certain things. As I imagined a man in his position would need to do.

I got off the plane first, with Edward and Bruno bringing up the rear. Bruno was a little restless. I wasn't sure if it was due to the fact he had been cooped-up on a plane for a few hours or maybe because he could sense so many people around. Perhaps even a mixture of both. Either way, I thought it was better for Edward to hold him, since he had almost pulled me off my feet back in New York.

As soon as my feet touched the bottom step Esme rushed toward me, pulling me into her arms and holding me tight. I hugged her back awkwardly, not sure why she was fussing over me in the first place. "I've been worried about you," she said as she pulled away to look at me. "You need to start taking better care of yourself. You've lost far too much weight. You're practically fading away. Edward," she said, turning her attention to him. "I thought I told you to look after her."

I looked behind me at Edward. He made a face at his mother, clearly not in the mood to be lectured. "I'm fine, Esme," I said, drawing her attention back to me and trying to reassure her. The last thing I wanted or needed was her hassling Edward about me. It certainly wouldn't help his mood any. "Edward has enough on his plate without having to worry about me." It was only after I spoke the words that I realized how true they were and I had done nothing but cause him worry. It only added to my guilt.

After we moved away from the plane, the rest of the family proceeded to pull us into hugs, welcoming us both _home_. I'll admit I never thought I would say this, but it felt good to see them. They even looked happy to see me, well at least the women did. It hadn't escaped my notice that when the greetings were finished, the men had created a huddle around Edward and had begun whispering.

"Come on," Esme said, linking her arm with mine and leading me to one of the waiting cars. Alice and Rosalie followed close behind us. "You can stay with us tonight. Allow the men to discuss things while we girls catch up. I want to hear all about New York and your new house. How is Nora working out? I'll admit when Edward suggested getting a housekeeper I thought it was a great idea. I hated the idea of you stuck in the house alone, not eating properly." My steps faltered as soon as I heard Nora's name, though Esme only noticed the fact after she was done talking. "Isabella darling, what is it?"

"I, uh, I…" I shook my head, fighting to keep my tears at bay. I really didn't want to talk about Nora or how I had gotten her killed. I looked toward Edward for guidance, but he was too busy talking. The men were getting in the car behind ours and whatever they were discussing seemed to have captured all their attention.

"Isabella?" Esme asked again, concerned. She followed my line of sight, looking toward Edward and then back to me.

"Nora is no longer with us," I mumbled before getting in the car and sliding over to the other side. I knew Esme wouldn't allow my comment to pass without question, but at least within the confines of the car I didn't need to keep up appearances. I was free to breakdown.

"What do you mean she is no longer with you? Was there a problem with her?" Esme asked, following me into the car. Alice and Rosalie climbed in cautiously, but never spoke a word. As soon as the door was closed our driver took off.

"I mean that Edward killed her… and it's my fault. He killed three people today because of me," I said, whispering the last part.

Esme pulled me into her arms and held me tight against her chest. "It's okay, Isabella. I know Edward wouldn't kill anyone without reason. Tell me what happened." So I did. I told her everything. From the hurt I felt when he left me in Detroit alone. To the mess he found in our home, to how awkward things were when we went to New York. I told her about Maggie's pushiness. I told her about the two suspected Russians that approached us. I told her about me going to the club and causing a scene, and how Liam had covered up for me. I even told her about him coming into my room and all the strange things that he did. I told her about going to see Marcus against Edward's wishes and then Edward killing Liam when I came home. By the time I finished, I was crying so hard. Esme said nothing. She just sat there holding me, reassuring me with her touch.

When we arrived at her home she took me inside before the men could see me. She took me to one of the downstairs bathrooms and helped me freshen up before she sat me down on a chair and gave it to me straight. "Isabella, you're hurting. I know that, and to be honest, no one can blame you. Not with everything you have been through. Carlisle and I haven't exactly made things easy for the two of you either, but you can't go on like this. You need to pull yourself together. This life isn't new to you. I know that your mother and father brought you up knowing what to expect, to an extent at least. You need to get up every morning and put on a face, even when that's the last thing you feel like doing. You need to show the world that you are a ruthless bitch, someone not to be messed with. If you don't someone will only exploit your weaknesses, and your weaknesses is Edward's weaknesses. He needs you to be stronger, more than ever now. He needs to know that you will be okay when he's not around. He needs to know you can take care of yourself. He can't be worried about you 24/7. Shit like that will only end up getting him killed and I know the last thing you want is to lose him. The last thing you want is to lose anyone else."

I was even more of an emotional wreck after listening to her. I knew her words were supposed to empower me, but all they did was show me how much of a failure I had been; and the more I cried the worse I felt.

"Now, I may not agree with him going on a killing spree, but what is done, is done. There is no use getting stuck on the 'what ifs'. All you can do from here is move on. Put all this behind you, in the past, where it belongs and look to the future. Concentrate on what you do have, rather than what you have lost." I nodded, knowing she was right. Esme leaned in and placed a kiss on my head. "I don't mean to sound harsh or heartless, Isabella. I'm only trying to tell you what you need to hear… I'll, uh, give you a moment to compose yourself."

When Esme left the bathroom, I cried until I was no longer able to cry. Strangely enough, it did help make me feel better. When I was finished, I freshened up again and headed out to join the rest of the family.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Thanks to my ladies, Paige, Sherry, Tiffany & Cristina.

I haven't forgotten about this story.

 **Chapter 15**

"Isabella, there you are," Alice exclaimed when I walked into the living room. She was holding two glasses of wine in her hands, one of which was thrust into my own as soon as I was close enough. "Rose and I were talking. It's not very often that we are all together these days, and God knows you and Edward look like you could use a break. We should all have a night at the casino, let our hair down. What do you think?"

I glanced around the room before taking a long drink of my wine. Rosalie and Esme seemed to look like they thought it was a good idea, but none of the men had joined us yet. I had no idea if Edward would think it was such a good idea. It wasn't very often that I got to see him kick back, but then life hadn't given us much of a break. "I, uh, don't know. I guess I should ask Edward."

Alice laughed, dismissing me with her hand. "You don't need to look so worried, Isabella. I'm sure Edward will think it's a great idea. Plus, it's a family casino, which means it's perfectly safe. No chance of running into any unwanted trouble." Clearly she didn't realize my bad luck when it came to trouble.

I said nothing more about it as I took a seat on one of the sofas and sipped my wine. I wasn't willing to agree to anything without talking to Edward first. Sure the idea of a night out sounded great. I was more than happy at the idea of letting my hair down and forgetting everything for a night, but knowing my luck, I would agree to it and Edward would be against the idea. Thankfully, Alice didn't push me any further and the ladies changed the conversation to another topic, which was mostly idle chitchat. I tried my best to join in with them, but my mind kept drifting off to my own thoughts. Most of which were about Edward.

I glanced up at the clock after a while. It was getting really late and I was beyond exhausted, but none of the men had returned yet. I would have liked to have gone to bed with Edward, but I had no idea how much longer he was going to be. I guess I would have to go alone. I sighed, sitting my glass down on the lamp table beside me. "I think I'm going to head to bed. It's been a long day."

Esme stood up. She came over as I got to my feet, squeezing my hand. The look on her face told me that everything was going to be okay. I had to believe she was right. I said my goodnights and then headed up the stairs. It was strange being back in this house again. I hadn't been here since Carlisle had given me leave to go to New York and everything had changed so much after that trip.

I went straight into our room, grabbing one of Edward's t-shirts from his drawers and headed into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and quickly changed. I was too tired to shower. By the time I entered the room again, Edward and Bruno were lying on the bed. I hadn't heard them come in, but I was more than pleased to see them.

Edward offered me a smile, that didn't quite reach his eyes. "My mother told me that you had gone to bed. I came to check on you and make sure you were alright. I also thought you might like Bruno with you too."

I wondered if Esme had interrupted their meeting to tell him I had gone upstairs or if they had come through to the living room after I left, but I didn't bother asking him. I walked around to my side of the bed and slid under the covers, but neither of the two of them made a move from their positions at the bottom of the bed. "Are you finished for the night? Are you coming to bed with me?"

Edward shook his head. "No, I figure it's going to be a late one tonight, sorry, but I will join you as soon as I can." I nodded. I couldn't hide the disappointment on my face, no matter how much I tried. "Hey," he said, moving up the bed until he was sitting beside me. "Talk to me. What's going on inside that pretty little head of yours?" He cupped my face and looked deep into my eyes, searching for answers.

I wanted to open up to him. I did, but I was torn between opening up for him, telling him how I feel and being strong for him. Was it wrong that I felt needy? Was it wrong that I wanted him to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be okay? Was it wrong that I wanted to fall asleep in his arms, knowing that I was safe? Instead of sharing any of those thoughts I simply shook my head and looked down at my hands. "I'm just tired, that's all."

I could feel Edward's eyes on me, staring at me, but he never said a word. After a few minutes I heard him moving and looked up. He positioned himself against the headboard and beckoned me to him. I didn't hesitate in hurrying to him. I tucked myself into his side and leaned my head against his chest, taking comfort in his arms. "Close your eyes, Isabella, and go to sleep," Edward ordered.

I did as he asked. I closed my eyes, yawning at the same time. "Before I forget, Alice asked us if we wanted to go to the casino. I told her I would need to ask you about it. I didn't want to answer for you." I paused, waiting on a response from him, but when he didn't answer I opened my eyes and looked up at him. He was looking down at me, watching me. "It's okay if you don't want to go," I said, unsure of why he was staring at me.

"What do you want to do, Isabella?"

"I, uh… I'm okay doing whatever you want to do," I said yawning. My eyes falling closed this time of their own accord.

Edward began playing with my hair, making it even harder for me to stay awake. "We'll go to the casino, Isabella. I haven't really had many opportunities to take you out like I should. Perhaps it will do us both a world of good."

I fell asleep then, dreaming about the casino and what adventures it would bring.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Thanks to my ladies, Tiffany, Paige, Sherry & Cristina xx

Thank you very much for all the reviews. I truly appreciate them. I'm sorry that I don't have the time to reply to them xx

 **Chapter 16**

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Bruno scratching and whining at the bedroom door. I tried calling him back to bed, but he seemed determined to get out. He must have needed to do his business. A quick look at the other side of the bed me told me that Edward wasn't there and hadn't been there all night as the sheets were still perfectly made. I had no idea what time it was, but I found it hard to imagine that he would still be talking shop this late, or early, depending on how you looked at it.

I threw back the covers and forced myself onto my feet. I went over to the dresser and grabbed a pair of Edward's boxers to shove on below the t-shirt I was wearing.

As soon as I opened the bedroom door, Bruno pushed past me and raced down the hallway toward the stairs. I whisper-shouted for him to wait for me, but he didn't listened. I had no idea what had gotten into him this morning. By the time I got to the stairs, he was nowhere in sight. I finally found him in the hall downstairs, jumping excitedly all over some man. It wasn't until I got closer that I realized that the man was Marcus.

Oh my god! Marcus was out. Why hadn't Edward told me he would be here this morning? I didn't think twice about it as I ran toward Marcus, screaming with excitement. I launched myself into his arms. I was just so happy to see him. He barely looked up in time to catch me and then there were a few seconds of awkwardness when I realized I was in his arms with my legs wrapped around his waist. "You're out. You're really out," I gasped.

"Yeah." Marcus coughed as he put his hands on my hips, physically removing my body from his and standing me on my feet. For some reason Marcus didn't look nearly as happy to see me as I was to see him. Okay, I got that we weren't exactly best friends. I was more a pain in his side than anything else, but you would have thought he would have at least been happy to be out of prison.

I looked up at him, about to ask him why he looked so unhappy, when Edward spoke from somewhere behind me. "Bella, what are you doing?" I glanced behind me to see Edward standing by his father's office door, with his arms folded. He looked even more miserable than Marcus. Why did I feel like I had been caught doing something I should have?

"Me? I, uh… Bruno woke me and I came down to let him out. He must have heard Marcus was here because as soon as I opened the door, he was off, racing downstairs. I guess he's missed him too."

"That's great… but I was more concerned with why I found my wife half-dressed and in the arms of another man."

"Half-dressed?" I asked, confused. I looked down at my clothes, realizing what he meant. My face turned red "I, uh… didn't plan on meeting anyone at this hour. I guess I didn't think about it when I saw Marcus. I got too excited. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by _hugging_ him." Surely he knew that? I didn't have a thing for Marcus. I missed him. I hadn't hidden the fact from Edward. He was a friend, or at least I saw him that way, and let's face it. I didn't have many of them.

I glanced at Marcus to see what he thought of the way Edward was acting, but he was looking down at the floor, refusing to meet mine or Edward's eyes. Bruno had even sat down beside him now and was looking between Edward and me, wondering what was going on. God, you would think I was naked the way they were carrying on. Okay, so I was showing a little more leg than was needed at this time of the morning, and I didn't have a bra on. But I wasn't naked. Plus, Marcus had seen me in my sleepwear plenty of times at our house and that hadn't been an issue. Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have run at him like I did, but I had just been so damn happy to see him. Ugh. "I guess I'll go upstairs," I said, glancing between the two of them. No one replied so I turned and headed upstairs.

Why the hell was he acting like that? Was he jealous? Shouldn't I be happy to see Marcus? Was it such a big deal that I was walking about in sleepwear? Okay, so I had never seen Mrs. C walking around in her sleepwear, but she and I were different ages. It had never been an issue before. Perhaps this was another one of those 'things' about how I presented myself as Edward's wife. If that was the case a handbook would be nice or at least a list of do's and don't's.

I guess when I thought about it, my mother never walked around our house either without being 'presentable' and she was always moaning about how I looked, but I had never really taken her seriously. Well, damn them and their rules of etiquette. If that was how they wanted to play, then fine. I would play by their rules. I would be the best fucking wife they had ever seen.

I went back to our room and headed straight for the shower. I had only been under the stream a few minutes when Edward came into the bathroom after me. He took his clothes off and stepped into the shower beside me without uttering a single word. I didn't acknowledge his presence. I merely kept washing my hair. That seemed to piss him off because he grabbed me and shoved me against the tiled wall, caging me in with his arms. He stared down at me with a look of determination. I wanted to ask him what his problem was, but I didn't. I didn't say a single word. I just kept staring up at him, waiting for him to say his piece.

"I don't like seeing you in the arms of another man."

I reached up and gently touched his cheek. "I didn't mean anything by it Edward. I was just happy to see Marcus. I missed him."

"Why can't you miss me like that?"

His words caught me by surprise. What did he mean, why couldn't I miss him like that? Of course I missed him like that. Sure, he pissed me off a lot, but I loved him. Didn't he know that? I reached up on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips, my eyes locked on his trying to convey just how much he meant to me. "I do miss you like that, Edward. I love you. I admit you drive me crazy half the time, but I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you. When you took me from my home, I hated you. I wanted nothing more than to get away from you, but you kept me safe despite how hard I made it for you.

"I had so many walls up. I didn't want to give you a chance, but you never gave up on me. Not even when I tried to run away or wore that dress. You were always there, breaking my walls down, showing me what we could have if I only let you in. I admit our love might be volatile at best, but it doesn't mean that we love each other any less. We've both made mistakes. We're as stubborn as hell. We're not perfect, but I don't want to be with anyone else. I only want you."

Edward breathed a shaky sigh of relief before he grabbed my face and pulled my mouth to his. He never replied verbally, but everything he had to say was right there. It was in the way he kissed me and then again in the way he took me against the shower wall.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Thanks to my ladies, Cristina, Sherry, Tiffany & Paige xx

Sorry this update has taken so long. Life has been pretty crazy. Planning on working on an update for PTMD next x

 **Chapter 17**

I groaned as I rolled onto to my side, my body was sore, stiff and my head was aching. It wasn't the sort of dull ache you get with a headache either. No, it was pounding like a bitch. My first thoughts were that I had gone overkill on the alcohol, but I hadn't really had that much to drink, had I? Sure, I was tipsy. A kind of happy drunk, but I was by no means wasted.

I lifted my hand to the back of my head to will the pain away when I felt a wet spot where the pain was radiating from. I brought my hand forward to my face to see what it was, but the room was too dark to see anything. That was when I started to take in my surroundings. Wherever I was, it wasn't home or Edward's parent's house. I was sitting on a cold, damp, floor. I had no idea why I hadn't noticed that before. The room around me was completely dark, there appeared to be no light source of any kind and now that I took time to think about it, the place stunk. There was a strong smell of piss, and something else, something equally disgusting.

As I sat there, trying to work out where I was and how I had ended up here, my mind filled with the sounds of an explosion and the screams from the casino. Someone had set a bomb off. I had been returning from the restroom when it had happened so I hadn't been anywhere near Edward. I remembered hurrying, trying to find him, or Marcus. I had been scared. I didn't know what was going on and there had been so many people running around screaming. I recalled seeing a man with his leg blown off. It was while I stood staring down at the man in agony that someone had come up behind me, but before I could turn around to see who it was, they had hit me on the back of the head. I didn't remember anything after that.

I had to get out of here. I had no idea where _here_ was or who had taken me, but I knew that I couldn't stay here. I couldn't just sit around and wait for them to come and get me. I crawled along the floor, feeling for a wall so I could get a sense of the room I was in.

I shook my head as I went, instantly regretting the action as my head began to throb more. I couldn't believe this had happened yesterday -or what I believed was yesterday. I had no idea how much time had actually passed- it had been one of the better days of my marriage. After our shower, Edward and I had gone downstairs to have breakfast. Everyone else had been there and Esme had made a big spread. It had felt good to sit with everyone at the same table just talking, laughing and listening to tales from my husband's childhood. It had all felt so relaxed. Natural. The complete opposite to how my life had been lately.

It had been during breakfast that Alice had decided that 'us girls' needed to go shopping. It had been decided that we would go to the casino that night and apparently that required a new dress. Not that I was complaining. I enjoyed shopping, or at least I used to, back when my mother was still alive.

So, after breakfast, we went out shopping, where I am sure we all spent a small fortune. None of us just bought a dress. No, there was new underwear, new shoes, a new purse and then all the other added extras that weren't even on the shopping list. I even got my nails done when we were in the mall.

After we were finished shopping, the guys met us at a restaurant and we all ate together. It was just as fun as breakfast, if not more. It was around that point that I was glad that Edward had made us come back to Detroit. I never thought I would think of it as home, but it was actually beginning to feel more like home than New York did these days. His family was part of that reason, too. They were growing on me. It was easier to get along with them when everyone was relaxed. No one was demanding anything of us and no one was trying to kill us. Well, they hadn't been at that point of the night.

After dinner we all went back to Edward's parent's house to get ready. I wasn't even bothered by the fact that we would be staying there another night, instead of going home.

When we were all dressed we headed out to the casino. We began our night sitting at the bar, drinking and talking, then eventually the women ventured off to gamble. Marcus followed me about for that part of the night. Apparently gambling wasn't my thing, I think I lost more money than I won, but I didn't mind.

At some point during the night, Edward had to send Marcus on an errand. So I went back to sit with Edward, knowing he would want to keep me close. The only time I had been away from either of them was the five minutes I had gone to the restroom and that was when the bomb had gone off. If you asked me, someone had been watching, waiting for their moment of opportunity. The only reason I had gone off on my own was because Edward had been deep in conversation with a man. Someone he had introduced me to, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember his name.

When I whispered in Edward's ear that I needed to use the restroom, he was going to follow me, but I didn't want to disturb his conversation and none of the family had been close enough to escort me. I convinced him that I would be okay by myself for a few minutes. The restroom was on the other side of the room, but it was still in his sights. Nothing could wrong, or so I thought.

I let out a blood curdling scream as my hand came into contact with an arm as I crawled along the floor. There was someone else in here with me. I quickly pulled my hand away and held my breath, waiting for them to move or to say something, but nothing happened. I listened for any signs of noise, but there was nothing. I took a few moments to calm down my breathing before I reached my hand back out, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me, but it wasn't. The arm was still there. Only this time I noticed it was cold, hard, and stiff.

I slowly felt my way up the arm, expecting to find a dead body attached to it, only there wasn't. This arm had been hacked off. I could feel the coagulated blood at the opened wound. I wanted to scream again. I pulled my arm back and took deep, shallow breaths, trying to calm myself. Okay, so there was a body part in here with me, possibly more, but it wasn't like I hadn't seen a dead body before. I could do this, and anyway, I couldn't even _see_ the dead body part. It was too dark. I couldn't get freaked out. Not now. I had to hold it together. I could do this. I was a Cullen. So what if my kidnappers were psychopaths? I would just need to be the bigger psychopath.

When I finally had my shit together, I began to crawl along the floor again. A few feet from the body, I found a head. The hair was short and the face felt masculine, strong. At least I thought it did. Could a face feel masculine? My thoughts immediately went to Edward. I had presumed before that he would be fine. He knew how to look after himself. I assumed that he would be out there looking for me, but what if, what if he wasn't? What if that was my husband that was cut up into pieces?

A sob mostly broke free of my chest, but I reined it back in. I couldn't think like that. Edward was out there, alive. He was looking for me and he would find me. Someone had left the body parts here to toy with me. They wanted to break me and I couldn't let that happen.

I found another arm and then a leg. Not that far from the head. I didn't linger near them, instead I pushed myself forward. I had to keep going. When my hand landed on yet another leg, I didn't think twice about it. I lifted my hand and went to move on, but then something, or rather someone, grabbed me and shouted 'boo!' straight into my face.

The sound of my own screaming was the last thing I heard before everything went dark.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Big thank you to my ladies, Sherry, Paige, Tiffany & Cristina.

Sorry the update took so long. x

 **Chapter 18**

EPOV

They had my fucking wife and father. I had no idea how they managed to pull this shit off. I had no idea why we hadn't seen it coming. We were all already on high alert after the events of New York. It wasn't as if we had lowered our guards and were sitting around like ducks with a target painted on our backs. There had been plenty of security at the casino, not forgetting the fact that the place was filled with our men, and their wives. They shouldn't have been able to target us there, yet somehow they managed it. They waltzed right in the door and blew the place up and managed to take my fucking wife and father.

My only conclusion was there had to be a rat. Someone on our side was working with the Russians. Bella had been glued to both Marcus' and my side all night. I found it convenient they waited until I sent Marcus away to take care of a shipment. Bella only left my side that one time to use the restroom, which I could easily see from my seat. I hadn't stopped watching the door of the restroom from the moment she went in until the second she came out.

The explosion had been timed so fucking perfect. She'd been on her way back to me when it detonated. I'd tried my best to get to her amongst the chaos, tossing people out of my way as I screamed her name. I knew, I just fucking knew in my gut that I had to get to her fast. I shouldn't even have allowed her to use the restroom on her own. I should've gone with her. I should never have allowed her to talk me into going on her own. No conversation was worth putting her in danger.

By the time I reached her last known location, she was gone. There was no trace of her. I searched fucking everywhere for her. I had the men looking for her, but I knew in my heart we wouldn't find her. She'd been taken. She was gone.

It was in the aftermath of the pandemonium I realized my father was missing, too. I knew he hadn't been standing near the explosion, so my only conclusion was they must have taken him too. Though I had no idea how they managed to take him down quietly. He wouldn't have gone without a fight, unless he didn't see them coming.

"Are they asleep?" I asked Emmett as he entered the living room. We were at my parent's house. We came back here after the casino. My mother and Rosalie were inconsolable because both my father and Isabella were missing. I tried to soothe them, telling them I'd do everything in my power to get them both back, but in the end, we had to give them a little something to help them sleep. Afterwards, Emmett took them both to bed while I made a few phone calls.

"They're both sleeping," he confirmed as he walked over to the bar grabbing a glass and a bottle of vodka. "I stationed two men that we trust outside their doors. The women should be out until morning. Hopefully we'll have some answers for them by then. Do you want a drink?" he asked, tilting the glass at me.

I shook my head even though I wanted nothing more than to grab the bottle from him and down the entire contents. I knew I had to keep a straight head. We all needed to keep a clear mind, if we were to stand any chance of finding Bella and my father. "You shouldn't drink either," I said. It sounded more like a statement, but Emmett took it as the order it was. He reluctantly set the bottle and glass back down before sitting down in the chair across from me.

"Did you speak to Jasper?"

"Yes, he's on his way home with Alice. The cops have taken over the entire area so there really isn't much more he can do from there." After the explosion, and discovering my father and Bella were missing, Emmett and I rounded up the family and brought them home. Alice insisted on staying with Jasper and he allowed her to because I think he wanted to keep her close. I couldn't blame him. Had Bella been here I don't think I would've let her out my sight.

"What about Marcus?"

"He's got his ear to the ground, listening for any chatter that'll give us a clue as to who exactly has taken them, and where they're holding them. Without any kind of information we might as well be pissing in the wind. Sure, we could start looking at their usual hideouts, but we don't have that kind of manpower to search everywhere and still have enough men to protect our own. Besides there's nothing to say they're still even in Detroit."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Stay with my mother and Rosalie. Don't let them out of your sight," I said, standing up, fastening my suit jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Do you really think that is such a good idea?" Emmett protested as he quickly stood up. "I don't think you should be wandering off by yourself. They managed to take your father from right under our noses. Who's to say they won't get a hold of you and take you too?"

"I'll be fine," I said, shrugging off his concern, not because I thought what he said wasn't possible, but because the thought of being taken didn't bother me. I wasn't sure if it was because I'd secretly given up, or perhaps a part of me, a foolish part, was hoping they would take me too so that I could save Bella. Though I doubted they'd take me to her, and even if they did, there would be little chance of me getting the two of us out. They were more likely to hurt her to get to me.

Emmett didn't look happy with the thought of me going off on my own, but he conceded because he knew I'd do it anyway. I left with the promise to keep him updated on anything I found out and made my way home.

It felt strange being back here without Bella. I didn't like seeing the house in darkness. I didn't like being here without her, but my instincts told me to come here. So I did. I parked my car and then used my keys to let myself in the front door. I half expected Bruno to greet me as I opened the door, even though I knew he was back at my parent's house.

I made my way through to the kitchen, flicking on the lights as I went. It wasn't until I reached for the switch in the kitchen and tried to turn it on that I realized something was wrong. Someone had disabled the lights. I spun around, pulling out my gun as I scanned the dark room for the intruder. That was when I spotted a figure sitting at one of the dining tables next to the window. "It's nice of you to finally join me, Mr. Cullen."


End file.
